Former world No. 4 Sofia Kenin continues to flash the brilliance and determination which had her among the best players on the WTA tour two years ago after keeping her unbeaten run at the Hobart International intact on Thursday.
The 2019 champion had to do it the hard way in her quarter-final against fifth seed Anhelina Kalinina, coming from a set down to win 4-6 6-3 6-1 to improve her head to head record against the Ukrainian to 3-2.
Now ranked 280 and needing a wildcard to enter this year’s tournament, Kenin overcame a sluggish start to wear down a wounded Kalinina, who was battling injury and fatigue after needing two and a half hours to edge past Tatjana Maria on Wednesday.
By midway through the second set the 2020 Australian Open champion had found her groove, capitalising on landing an incredible 82.5 per cent first of her first serves while finally converting break point opportunities she was unable to do in the first.
“I’m super happy that I was able to keep fighting, pushing through even though the first set didn’t go my way,” Kenin said.
“I’m just super proud, I served pretty well and it obviously helps with these conditions.
“She’s a tough player. I lost to her quite recently at the end of last year and I knew what I did wrong and I tried to just improve on that and obviously it’s a good improvement.”
Kenin will meet Elisabetta Cocciaretto after the Italian saved two match points to outlast sixth seed Bernarda Pera in a three set slugfest in the opening match of the day.
Cocciaretto, who took out former champion and third seed Alize Cornet in the opening round, was twice staring down the barrel of defeat in the second set tie-break but managed to lift herself off the canvas to register a 5-7 7-6(8) 6-4 victory in two hours and 47 minutes.
The world No. 67 had lost both previous encounters against Pera – both last year – but turned the tables in spectacular fashion to move into the last four for just the second time of her brief but rising WTA career.
“It was a really, really tough match. A lot of fighting. She’s a very, very good player. I know her very well, I played last year two times against her, but I’m happy with the way I fight,” Cocciaretto said.
“[She had] no expectation [coming to Hobart], it’s a very, very hard tournament. There are a lot of good players and it was unexpected for me.
“Very, very good for me and I’m really happy to play against very good players like them. Tomorrow I’ll have another chance to play and I’m very, very happy about that.”
In the night session, qualifier Anna Blinkova continued her giant killing run by sending eighth seed Yulia Putintseva packing.
Blinkova knocked out top seed Marie Bouzkova in the second round, but there was no let down 24 hours later as she chalked up a 6-3 6-4 victory in one hour and 40 minutes.
Lauren Davis joined Kenin as the second American and Blinkova as the second qualifier in the last four after defeating Xinyu Wang 6-3 6-3 in the last of the quarters.
Tomorrow’s order of play has been released and can be found here.
While the tennis will light up the courts at Domain Tennis Centre, the event will also feature a range of activities, performances and initiatives. These include:
- A celebration of Pride – Friday 13 January
- Hobart Out Tennis Tournament starts and runs through to Sunday 15 January
- Maddy Jane performances (local Tasmanian musician out of Bruny Island)
- Friday 13 January at 1:30pm (1hr set)
- Saturday 14 January 12:20pm (30min set)
- Maggie and Sophie Cunningham to present the Angie Cunningham Trophy to the winner in honour of their late mother – Saturday 14 January
Tickets for the semi finals and final of the Hobart International are on sale via Ticketmaster.
Prices start from $39^ for adults and general admission is free* for children with a paying adult during the entire event, including finals.