America’s Sofia Kenin has created a storm in the world of tennis. At 21 years of age and in her 1st ever Grand Slam final, she came back from a set down to defeat the 2 time Grand Slam champion Garbiñe Muguruza of Spain. The match was fierce and intense from the beginning to the end and perfectly fitted the aura of a Grand Slam final. Let’s look back at the epic 3 set contest which kept the audiences and commentators on their toes for more than 2 hours.
Muguruza Strikes First
The 1st set started with both the players holding their serves in a solid manner. However, Muguruza struck in the 3rd game by first taking Kenin to deuce and then forcing 3 break points. Eventually the Spaniard produced a wonderful back winner which Kenin tried to deal but her forehand return was well wide. The Spanish lady had thus forced the 1st break of serve in the match.
From then on the set turned extremely competitive with both the players taking each other to deuces on their serves. Eventually in the 8th game Muguruza would now surrender her break courtesy of 2 double faults. A furious Muguruza would appear in disbelief as Kenin was now well and truly back in the set.
[poll id=”12″]
In the next game the Spanish starlet quickly regrouped herself and again forced 2 break points of the Kenin serve. Muguruza converted on the 2nd break point through a classic combination of a deep cross courted backhand and then a perfectly placed volley. The Spaniard then held her own serve dominantly. She took the extremely tight 1st set and was now up a running.
Kenin Forces Her Way Back
The American Sofia Kenin improved her serving in the 2nd set. She began with 2 back to back love holds. In the 4th game of the set, she put the Muguruza serve under severe pressure by forcing 2 break points and eventually getting the break. With a break of serve in her kitty, the World Number 15 was now determined to cruise her way back in the match.
Kenin kept serving powerfully from her end and at 5-2, when Muguruza was serving to remain in the set, the American raised her game to put more pressure. She played 2 beautiful winners ultimately breaking Muguruza for the 2nd time in the set and winning it in a very convincing manner, 6 games to 2. Kenin had put herself on level terms and it was now one set all. The hot headed contest was deservingly going to the 3rd and deciding shootout.
Kenin Raises The Trophy
The momentum was now clearly with the American but Muguruza would not give this one up so easily. Both players were attacking each other’s serve and trying to force an upper hand. However, both continued to hold their serve till the 6th game of the set. Muguruza was looking comfortable on serve at 40-15 but then Kenin played some good tennis, along with Muguruza certainly having an error prone game. The Spaniard was broken and the American now began to sense that the Grand Slam victory was closer to her racquet.
Kenin held her serve well and took the score to 5-2 in her favor. It was now just one game that separated the American from the 2020 Daphne Akhurst trophy. Muguruza was looking in extreme pressure while serving to remain in the tournament. That pressure began to affect her serve with Kenin eventually forcing the championship point and then taking the game, set, match and championship.
The 21 year old American was now a deserving Grand Slam champion. With her magical victory at the Australian Open women’s singles 2020, Kenin is all set to become the top ranked American female tennis player. She will break into the top 10 for the 1st time in her career as the new rankings are announced by WTA on Monday. The American is a latest in the series of 1st time female Grand Slam winners in the past 2 years, a first step towards a remarkable career.
This is all we have for you on this Saturday night from Melbourne Park. We will be back tomorrow with the recap of another great final as World Number 5 Dominic Thiem and World Number 2 Novak Djokovic take to the Rod Laver arena in the pursuit of the 2020 Norman Brookes Champion trophy .