USA’s young Sofia Kenin won in three sets

Sofia Kenin, the surprise winner of the 2020 Australian Tennis Open, has made it into the semifinals of her second Grand Slam as the 4th-seed, but she’s now in for a tough challenge from 7th-seeded Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic when the round of four plays at the French Open Clay Court tournament at Roland Garros Thursday.

Kenin, born in Moscow but a United States citizen residing in South Florida, is a 21-year-old who has won her five matches to get to the semis, but some haven’t been easy. She began with a straight-set win, but then dropped the middle set of a three-set struggle, and the first set of the next two, won again in two before needing three sets to eliminate fellow American, unseeded former NCAA two-time champion Danielle Collins, 6-4, 4-6, 6-0, Tuesday.

As for Kvitokva, she’s had it much easier in winning all her five matches in straight sets, this time ousting Laura Siegemund of Germany, 6-3, 6-3, in the quarterfinals. In the other semis, it will be 3rd-seeded Elina Svitolina taking on unseeded, 19-year-old Iga Swiatek, after Svitolina won handily, 6-2, 6-4 over 131st ranked Nadia Podoroska, and Swiatek stunned top-seeded Simona Halsep, 6-1, 6-0.

On the men’s side, the quarters brought a semis matching top-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia versus 5th-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipa of Greece, after the Greek turned back 13th-seeded Andry Rublev of Russia, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3, and Djokovic dropped the opening set, 4-6, and then cruised along with 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 wins over Spain’s Pablo Carreno, the 17th-seed.

In the other men’s semis, 2nd-seeded Rafael Nadal of Spain cooled off 19-year-old Jamik Sinner of Italy in straight sets, and will take on up-and-coming Diego Schwatzman of Russia, who upset 3rd-seeded Dominic Thiem of Germany in five tough sets.