Former AO champ's stunning fall from grace worsens

2 years ago 424

Sofia Kenin was the Australian Open champion successful 2020, and made it to the last of the French Open, too, that year, erstwhile she climbed to a career-high ranking of No. 4.

She's going to driblet a batch person to No.100 aft a first-round exit astatine Melbourne Park today.

The 11th-seeded Kenin was beaten by 2017 US Open runner-up Madison Keys 7-6 (2), 7-5 successful an all-American matchup.

"It's not easy, but it's conscionable a number. It doesn't alteration who I am. I'm inactive that idiosyncratic who everyone respects precise much," Kenin said of her WTA ranking status. "Obviously, it's not the champion news. ... But I don't person a uncertainty I tin get backmost there."

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Keys, besides a erstwhile Top 10 subordinate who reached the Australian Open semifinals successful 2015, utilized 16 aces to widen her caller tally of success: She is coming disconnected a hard-court rubric astatine Adelaide connected Saturday.

Sofia Kenin of United States plays a forehand successful her archetypal circular singles lucifer against Madison Keys (Getty)

"Just immoderate unforced errors and immoderate forced errors -- due to the fact that Maddy forced them. I was close there. It's disappointing," Kenin said. "It's a small spot of a bummer."

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Last play was hard for her: She was disconnected the circuit for the 2nd fractional of the twelvemonth due to the fact that of a ft wounded and a bout with COVID-19.

Her ranking has remained arsenic precocious arsenic it has acknowledgment successful ample portion to getting to clasp onto the points she earned by winning the trophy astatine the Australian Open 2 years ago. But aft a second-round nonaccomplishment successful 2021, she present departs adjacent earlier.

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