Sports News | Former Australian Open Champion Kenin Upset by 113th-ranked Rodionova at Brisbane International
Get latest articles and stories on Sports at LatestLY. Former champion Sofia Kenin had a setback to her preparations for the Australian Open with an upset 7-5, 7-6 (7) loss Tuesday to No. 113-ranked Arina Rodionova in the second round of the Brisbane International.
Brisbane, Jan 2 (AP) Former champion Sofia Kenin had a setback to her preparations for the Australian Open with an upset 7-5, 7-6 (7) loss Tuesday to No. 113-ranked Arina Rodionova in the second round of the Brisbane International.
The 2020 Australian Open winner was constantly under pressure on her serve despite having chances in both sets against Rodionova, a 34-year-old Australian who has never been ranked in the top 100.
Kenin was seeded 14th in Brisbane, a key tune-up tournament for the Australian Open starting Jan. 14 in Melbourne.
Rodionova got a crucial break in the 11th game and then held at love, clinching the first set with an ace.
Kenin dictated terms at the start of the second and wasted a set point at 5-3, then gave Rodionova a break point with a wide forehand down the the line.
Three games later, Kenin had the court wide open but swung a forehand wide and then sent another long as the set went into a tiebreaker.
In the opening match of the day on the covered Pat Rafter Arena, No. 51-ranked Yannick Hanfmann of Germany beat fifth-seeded Sebastian Korda 7-5, 6-4 in a first-round contest.
Later Tuesday, the 37-year-old Rafael Nadal was set to play his first competitive match in 12 months since a second-round exit at the Australian Open last year.
Now ranked No. 672 and playing on a wild card in Brisbane after a long rehabilitation from a hip injury, the 22-time major winner was scheduled to play former No.3-ranked Dominic Thiem, the 2020 U.S. Open champion who went through qualifying in Brisbane. (AP)
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)