By Tennis Now | Tuesday, August 6, 2019
Sofia Kenin broke serve six times stunning world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, to roar into the Toronto round of 16 with her first career Top 5 victory.
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Sofia Kenin elevated her break-out season to new heights in Toronto today.
Ripping returns with vigor, Kenin broke serve six times stunning world No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4, to roar into the Rogers Cup round of 16 with her first career Top 5 victory.
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"I'm just really tired, to be honest," the 20-year-old Kenin said afterward. "Ashleigh's such a tough player, it was a tough match and I'm just happy to pull through.
"With her you gotta fight for every point. First set didn't go my way, but I just stayed there and fought."
Winless in three prior meetings with Barty, Kenin broke first in all three sets avenging her three-set Roland Garros to the French Open champion.
It is Kenin's fourth career Top 10 win, including her Roland Garros upset of 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams.
Armed with a 20-3 hard-court record on the season and wearing kinesiology tape snaking around her right shoulder, Barty battled hard, but could not find an answer for the American's assault on her backhand.
It is Barty's first had-court loss since she bowed to Elina Svitolina, 7-6 (8), 5-7, 6-4 at Indian Wells in March and could cost the 23-year-old Aussie her No. 1 ranking.
Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka and third-ranked Karolina Pliskova both have a shot to surpass Barty and regain the top spot. Osaka, who had a first-round bye, can reach No. 1 by going further than Barty did while Pliskova must reach at least the semifinals to return to the top.
In a match pitting the top seed's versatilty and all-court acumen against Kenin's sharp return game and impeccable timing, the 20-year-old American battered Barty's backhand at critical stages..
Kenin set the tone breaking for 2-1. Before serving for the set in the 10th game, Kenin called out her father and coach, Alexander, for a consultation.
The 20-year-old American dumped a double fault to fall into a love-30 hole and produced her sloppiest game of the set to gift back the break to the top seed.
Mixing up her serve shrewdly, Barty kicked an ace out wide then followed a flatter serve forward holding for 6-5—her first lead since she held to open the match. Curling a crosscourt forehand, Barty went up 6-3 in the tie break and snatched a one-set lead stinging a serve down the middle.
A recharged Kenin continued to pressure serve breaking in the second game of the second set. Kenin crunched a crosscourt forehand wrong-footing her opponent to confirm the break for 3-0.
Timing the ball beautifully, Kenin cracked a return winner down the line to score her second straight break in the fourth game. Kenin was up 4-0, 40-love, but Barty came right back with a three-game run.
Kenin continued to probe the Aussie’s weaker backhand making inroads on the Barty serve again. When Barty floated a forehand beyond the baseline, Kenin broke back for 5-3.
Kenin cranked a drive down the line to level the match and force a decider, while Barty continued her struggle to find consistency.
The depth of Kenin’s drives neutralized the top seed’s all-court skills at the start of the third set. Kenin coaxed a floating forehand earning the first break of the decider for 2-1. Kenin fought off three break points then bunted a volley into the open court to back up the break.
Flying forward, Kenin flicked a forehand pass down the line breaking again for 4-1.
The world No. 1 denied three match points, including zapping an ace down the middle on the third match point then banged another ace working through a tight hold for 4-5.
Stepping up to serve for her first career Top 5 win, Kenin dragged her opponent wide and slid a forehand winner down the line for a fourth match point.
One final mis-fire from Barty ended it as Kenin improved to 29-15 on the season.
Kenin, who has won titles on Hobart's hard court and the grass of Mallorca this season, will play either former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, who swept Camila Giorgi, 6-2, 6-2, or Dayana Yastremska for a quarterfinal spot.
Carla Suárez Navarro rallied from a set down defeating Venus Williams for the first time in four years, 6-4, 6-2.
It was Suárez Navarro's first win over Williams since the 2015 Miami quarterfinals and Williams' third straight opening-round exit following losses to Bethanie Mattek-Sands at San Jose and 15-year-old phenom Coco Gauff at Wimbledon.
Newlywed Alison Riske showed resilience fighting off three match points rallying past Maria Sakkari, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7).
It was Riske's 15th victory in her last 17 matches, including her run to the ITF Surbiton title in June, and propels the American qualifier into a second-round clash vs. the third-seeded Pliskova.