Kenin breaks Australian hearts,
topples Barty to reach final
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[January 30, 2020]
By Sudipto Ganguly
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Sofia Kenin sent
world number one Ash Barty spinning out of the Melbourne Park
semi-finals 7-6(6) 7-5 on Thursday to reach her maiden Grand Slam
final, crushing Australian hopes of a first home-grown champion in
42 years.
American 21-year-old Kenin, seeded 14th at the year's first Grand
Slam, had a breakthrough 2019 season when she won all three of her
singles titles to reach a career-high ranking of 12, the United
States' number two behind Serena Williams.
But Barty, 23, came into Thursday's match with a 4-1 record against
her and had the American pinned on the back foot with a combination
of big forehands and backhand slices.
Barty was bidding to become the first local woman to progress to an
Australian Open final since Wendy Turnbull in 1980 and looked the
more likely winner but Kenin hung tough, saving set points in both
frames.
"She's such a tough player, she's playing really amazing and I knew
I really needed to find a way to win," Kenin said. "This really
wasn't an easy one. I'm just so speechless.
"I can't believe this, I have dreamt about this moment since I was
five-years-old. I've worked so hard to get here.
"I needed to fight out there. There's a reason why she's world
number one."
Kenin showed her frustration at times, throwing her racquet on
court, but managed to save three break points to hold for 3-3 in the
opening set and eventually force a tiebreaker.
Despite temperatures soaring to 38 degrees Celsius (100F), the
American kept her cool to win four straight points in the
tiebreaker, saved two set points and converted her first to stun the
crowd into silence.
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Australia's Ashleigh Barty in action during her match against Sofia
Kenin of the U.S. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
But the fans soon found their voice again, belting out chants of,
"Let's go Barty, let's go," as the home favorite broke Kenin early
in the second set to go up 2-1.
Serving at 5-4, Barty was primed to level the match and force a
decider but even holding two set points she could not get across the
line, Kenin battling to get the break and bringing the set back on
serve.
The American then held before converting her second match point on
Barty's serve to book her place in the final against either Romanian
Simona Halep or Garbine Muguruza of Spain, who are meeting in
Thursday's second semi-final.
Barty, who hit 33 winners to Kenin's 16, said she enjoyed the
experience of playing a Grand Slam semi-final in front of a home
crowd but was disappointed she failed to take her chances.
"I think a match where I didn't feel super comfortable," she said.
"I felt like my first plan wasn't working. I couldn't execute the
way that I wanted. I tried to go to B and C.
"I think I had to dig and find a way. I'm two points away from
winning that in straight sets, which is disappointing."
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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