By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, March 8, 2020
Top-seeded Sofia Kenin conquered Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 capturing her fifth career title at the inaugural Open 6ème Sens Métropole de Lyon.
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
Lyon is famed for its festival of lights.
Sofia Kenin flashed competitive fire blazing to her fifth career title in Lyon today.
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The top-seeded Kenin conquered Anna-Lena Friedsam 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 capturing the inaugural Open 6ème Sens Métropole de Lyon championship to cap a week of pure tennis tenacity.
Arriving in the French city mired in a three-match losing streak, the Australian Open champion dialed in her sharp groundstrokes and dug in with defiance.
Competing with steely spine, Kenin denied match point down in the second set to earn a 6-7(5) 7-5 6-4 victory over Romanian qualifier Jaqueline Cristian in a two hours and 31 minute round of 16 test then withstood a three-set fight from Oceane Dodin in the quarterfinals.
Ultimately, a feisty Kenin fought through 14 sets in five tournament wins to lift her second title trophy of the year.
“It was a little bit different pressure and it was such a tough tournament,” Kenin said. “I’m so happy to have come here. Lyon is so beautiful.
"I’d like to congratulate Anna-Lena on a great tournament, great match it honestly could have gone either way.”
The fifth-ranked Kenin raised her record to 15-5.
Credit Friedsam for knocking off three seeded opponents en route to her first WTA-level final since 2015. Friedsam battled the Australian Open champion until the final ball today.
“For me, I didn’t expect to be in the finals this week so I’m more than proud this week,” Friedsam said. “I want to congratulate Sofia again. She plays amazing for her age.
"Today I played a Grand Slam champion so I will try to improve and learn from it."
Exploiting an increasingly erratic Kenin, Friedsam broke twice to run through the 42-minute second set and force a final set with the title on the line.
After a bathroom break, Kenin returned refreshed immediately breaking at 30.
Opening with a break for the second straight set, this time Kenin made it stick.
The world No. 5 carved out a clever drop shot then cranked a forehand on the rise confirming the break for 2-0 in the decider.
Tuning up the pace of her forehand, Kenin was stepping inside the baseline rapping that shot into the corners cruising through a love hold for 3-1.
The baseliner from Pembroke Pines powered to a double-break lead at 4-1 and could clearly see the finish line. Friedsam had a different vision.
Launching herself into her forehand, Friedsam flowed through eight of the next nine points closing to 3-4—and prompting Kenin to call out her father and coach, Alex, who offered words of encouragement in English and Russian.
When Friedsam floated a slice backhand long, Kenin had two championship points.
The Australian Open champion had a wide-open court but slid a volley wide on the first championship point then pasted her two-hander into net on the second.
A calm Kenin opened the court with a wide serve and closed the point with a crisp crosscourt backhand for a third championship point.
This time, Kenin converted clubbing a diagonal forehand to close in one hour, 49 minutes and seize her fifth title.
"I enjoyed every minute of it," said Kenin, who hit 29 winners—11 more than her opponent. "It’s such a great tournament. I love coming here and I’m looking forward to coming here [again]."