Australian Open: Sofia Kenin - victory over Serena the turning point
Sofia Kenin is at the Australian Open for the first time in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament. The 21-year-old American will face Ashleigh Barty, world number one, on Thursday.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Jan 28, 2020, 03:35 pm
Serena Williams had given her that look of death, so Sofia Kenin explained, but that wouldn't have bothered her. The 23-time major winner was simply due. And Kenin bravely seized the opportunity. That was in the third round of the French Open in 2019. After this match, it just bubbled out of the Moscow-born American, who not only shows her emotions openly on the court. In Paris, however, the Serena coup was also over: Against the player Kenin now meets in their first semifinal in a major: Ashleigh Barty.
Most Australian viewers' hopes rest on the Australian, a situation Barty has to deal with. Right at the beginning of the year, the world number one in Brisbane had already failed in the first match against Jennifer Brady, followed by the tournament victory in Adelaide. Barty and Kenin know each other surprisingly well given their youth, there have already been five games between the two. After four successes for the Australian, Kenin was able to write to Wuhan for the first time in autumn 2019.
Kenin beats idol Serena
The 21-year-old Kenin won three tournaments in 2019, smaller events were in Hobart, Mallorca and Guangzhou. The world rankings currently show her at position 15, with the move to the semifinals in Melbourne, Kenin will improve at least in eleventh place. In the quarter-final match against Ons Jabeur, which Kenin won 6-4 and 6-4, Dinara Safina, the former number one in the world, was a guest in Kenin's box. A fact that Sofia Kenin did not want to attach too much importance to. You follow each other on Instagram, nothing more, she said in the press conference after the match, the boss in the trainer ring was of course her father Alexander.
Her great strength is the aggressiveness on the court, Kenin continues, but she doesn't want to chat too much out of the box. It could be used against them by their opponents. In any case, Serena Williams' knowledge of Kenin's aggressive approach did not help almost a year ago. Although this match was something of a turning point from the perspective of her younger compatriot. "I think this match really changed things," said Sofia Kenin in Melbourne. "I saw that I can play at this level. And then that happened to Serena, my idol. I feel that things really started after this match. ”
Here is the individual tableau for women in Melbourne
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