Kenin ousts Gauff to reach Aussie Open quarters
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Coco Gauff's latest history-making Grand Slam run at age 15 ended with a 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-0 loss in the Australian Open's fourth round to Sofia Kenin on Sunday.
Like Gauff, Kenin is a young - although, at 21, not quite as young - American and she reached her first major quarterfinal with the victory.
''I just needed to calm down, relax, try my best and fight,'' the 14th-seeded Kenin said. ''I'm just so speechless.''
In her previous match, the 67th-ranked Gauff beat Naomi Osaka to become the youngest player in the professional era to defeat the reigning women's champion at the Australian Open.
But Gauff did not play as well this time, winding up with 48 unforced errors, more than twice as many as Kenin's 22.
After dropping the opening set, Kenin immediately tilted things her way, breaking in the initial game of the second and never letting that lead slip away.
When it ended, appropriately enough, on a missed backhand by her opponent, Kenin dropped her racket at the baseline and covered her face as tears welled in her eyes.
''She's such a tough player. Had a tremendous 2019,'' Kenin said, referring to Gauff with words that also apply to Sunday's winner. ''All respect to her.''
Just before Gauff announced herself last season by becoming the youngest qualifier in Wimbledon history and beating Venus Williams en route to the fourth round, Kenin strode onto the Grand Slam stage at the French Open by upsetting Serena Williams to get to the round of 16 at a major for the first time.
Gauff's power is impressive. One tiny indication: She slammed a forehand into the net so hard that it dislodged a piece of a sponsor's white plastic sign.
Kenin can't copy that. But thanks to her relentless ball-tracking and a bit of in-your-face attitude with a racket in hand, Kenin surged up the WTA rankings from 52nd to 12th in 2019 while winning her first three tour-level singles titles plus a couple in doubles.
Next up is another first-time Slam quarterfinalist: 78th-ranked Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, a 7-6 (4), 6-1 winner against 27th-seeded Wang Qiang. It was Wang who surprised Serena Williams in the third round.