[6] Elina Svitolina (UKR) vs. [22] Sofia Kenin (USA)
Kenin, down but not out
Their one previous encounter, earlier this year, was a battle won by Svitolina in three sets. Things looked to be heading in the same direction today, albeit an easier victory, for the Ukrainian, who got off to a 4-0 lead. Yet, that is why the match is not won until it’s won. Kenin dug deep to break back twice to even the match; therefore, it was only fitting that the first set would be decided in a tiebreaker. The momentum had shifted to the side of the American and Svitolina was rattled.
Mental collapse from Svitolina
How do you lose a set from 4-0 up? That is probably the question that was rolling around in Svitolina’s head as the tiebreak was rapidly slipping out of her grasp. After a dominant start, she inexplicably lost her focus and started misfiring when she needed to be precise. In contrast, the American tidied up her game after a sloppy start and played cleaner tennis when she needed to stay in the set. Once she got to the tiebreak, she was focused and executed her shots with pace and accuracy.
Svitolina never recovered
It can sometimes be difficult to regain your composure after losing a set despite a healthy lead. That disappointment can leak into the next set further disrupting your focus. Svitolina had opportunities to break the American in the second set; however, she failed to convert and promptly got broken in her own service game. She never stopped fighting; however, she had lost her rhythm and the errors were now flowing freely off her racquet. Kenin won 7-6(2), 6-4.
Kenin’s next opponent
The American will have her hands full in the semifinals when she plays home crowd favorite, Bianca Andreescu. The Canadian, despite her injured thigh, fought back from dropping the second set to upset the third seed, Karolina Pliskova, 6-0, 2-6, 6-4.
SOURCE OF IMAGES: Zimbio.com (main: Getty Images Europe: Sofia Kenin)
