Little-known Kenin takes Australian Open title
THIS, ESSENTIALLY, was where Sofia Kenin was going to win or lose the Australian Open final: She was down love-40 while serving at two-all in the third set against two-time major champion Garbine Muguruza.
Kenin sensed that this was the moment that would matter. Up in the stands of the Rod Laver Arena, so did her father, Alex, who is also her coach.
“I knew I had to take my chance,” Kenin said. “I had to be brave.”
Sure was. The 21-year-old American won the next five points, each with a winner – one an ace, the others clean groundstrokes, to cap exchanges of 11 shots or more – and was on her way to becoming a Grand Slam champion.
Demonstrative as can be – whether spiking a ball, dropping her red-white-and-blue racket, or slapping her thigh – and at her best when necessary, the 14th-seeded Kenin won the first major final of her career yesterday by coming back to beat a fading Muguruza 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 at Melbourne Park.
“That’s the game I feel, like, changed things. I had to play some (of my) best tennis. I did,” Kenin said. “After that, I was on fire. I was ready to take the beautiful trophy.”
Kenin was so magnificent when it mattered the most, saving 10 of 12 break points she faced, while converting 5 of 6 that she earned.
“I’m not very happy about my performance. … At the important moments, I didn’t find my shots,” Muguruza said. “I think she found her shots. I didn’t.”
Muguruza was visited by a trainer after the second set and her movement wasn’t ideal down the stretch. Nor was her serving: She double-faulted eight times, including three in the last game, one on championship point.
For quite some time, Kenin was overlooked and underappreciated, drawing much less attention than other young tennis players from the US, such as 15-year-old Coco Gauff – Kenin beat her in the fourth round this week – and 18-year-old Amanda Anisimova.
Maybe it was because Kenin is only 5-foot-7 (1.70 metres). Maybe it was because she went into last season with this résumé: ranked outside the top 50, yet to get past the third round of a major, yet to win a tour-level title.
Kenin will be taken more seriously now. By everyone. She is the youngest Australian Open champion since 2008 when Maria Sharapova won the hard-court tournament at age 20.
Kenin, who eliminated No. 1 Ash Barty in the semi-finals, is expected to rise to No. 7 in Monday’s WTA rankings, the youngest American to make her debut in the top 10 since Serena Williams in 1999.