Sofia Kenin’s strides gained more surety as she defeated Leylah Fernandez at the Guadalajara Open on Thursday to reach the semi-finals. The American got through 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-1 after nearly two hours and 50 minutes of play in her quarter-final clash against the Canadian.
Kenin had 14 double faults in the match. Half of this number came in the second set in which she fought back from a break down to push the set into the tie-break which she later conceded. Despite struggling to control her serve, the 24-year-old was still better when it came to winning second-serve points as compared to her opponent.
Fernandez did win 35 of 47 points played on her first serve to Kenin winning 46 of 73 points played on hers. However, the latter won 50% of her second-serve points, or 28 of 56 points played, to the left-hander winning 35%, or 15 of 43 points played.
Fernandez failed to save six of the seven break points she faced while Kenin saved five of eight break points she faced. Compatriot Caroline Dolehide will be Kenin’s next rival. The world no. 111 took the same time as Kenin to push past Martina Trevisan, 3-6, 7-6(9), 6-3.
Trevisan raised match points on four occasions in the second set but Dolehide held firm and fended each of them, off. In the end, the 25-year-old capped off her fightback by clinching the win. This is the first time in her career Dolehide’s made it this far in a WTA tournament, let alone a WTA 1000 event.
Guadalajara Open: Caroline Garcia’s quest for her lost form ends in Mexico!
At the bottom of the draw, the semi-final’s been set as drawn with the second and third seeds playing each other for a spot in the final.
Third seed Caroline Garcia defeated 10th seed Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 37 minutes to make it to the semi-finals. Azarenka went 0 for 11 on break points converted while Garcia converted two of three break points she got on Azarenka’s serve.
Garcia had 15 more winners than her opponent’s 13 and 13 more unforced errors than the latter’s eight. Meanwhile, 2022 Guadalajara Open runner-up, the second-seeded Maria Sakkari halted the brilliant run of Emiliana Arango in its tracks. Sakkari won their quarter-final 6-3, 6-4 in the last match on Thursday evening after 88 minutes of play.
