Serena Williams came up well short this fortnight in her bid to tie the record for most Grand Slam women’s singles titles, falling to countrywoman Sofia Kenin 6-2, 7-5 in third-round action at the French Open.
On Saturday, Williams was out of sorts on CourtPhilippe-Chatrier, showing glimpses of her overpowering arsenal of weapons butalso lots of signs of rust stemming from her recent lack of tournament play,reports Efe news.
Even so, it took a strong performance from the 20-year-oldKenin to take advantage of her opportunity against the American great, who is adangerous opponent no matter the circumstances.
Kenin earned the first service break of the match midwaythrough the first set and then staved off a break point in the following gameto grab a 4-2 lead.
The Russian-born world No. 35 finished off the set two gameslater by winning her fourth straight deuce-ad game, a stretch in which Williamslooked visibly frustrated at some balls that clipped the lines.
Kenin also grabbed a 2-0 lead at the start of the second setbefore Williams started clawing her way into the match.
The 37-year-old American, who has been battling a kneeinjury and is currently ranked No. 10, won four of the next five games to graba 4-3 lead and heap pressure on her relatively inexperienced opponent.
But Kenin showed plenty of competitive mettle as well,refusing to back down and keeping her nerve in a testy final game to clinch thevictory in one hour and 32 minutes.
Williams, who will have to wait until Wimbledon to try toequal Australian Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam women’s singles titles,acknowledged that she is short on competitive matches but praised heropponent’s play.
Next up for Kenin in the round of 16 will be Australianworld No. 8 Ashleigh Barty, who continued to breeze through the draw with a6-3, 6-1 victory on Saturday over Germany’s Andrea Petkovic.
Japanese world No. 1 Naomi Osaka, winner of the past twoGrand Slam tennis events, also fell victim to an upset, losing to CzechKaterina Siniakova 6-4, 6-2.
In other third-round women’s singles action on Saturday,Romanian world No. 3 and defending French Open champion Simona Halep strolledpast Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko 6-2, 6-1 to set up a fourth-round match againstPolish teenage sensation Iga Swiatek, who rallied from a dreadful start todefeat Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig 0-6, 6-3, 6-3.In men’s singles action on Saturday, world No. 1Novak Djokovic brushed aside Italy’s Salvatore Caruso 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 and willnext play Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, who outlasted Croatia’s Borna Coric4-6, 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7-1), 11-9.