Thanasi storms into semis, Kenin powers through, Norrie right at home
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Thanasi Kokkinakis has produced a second stirring upset in as many days to keep hopes of retaining his home Adelaide International 2 title alive.
The 26-year-old backed up a three-set win over world No.6 Andrey Rublev with a 6-3 6-7 (7-4) 6-1 victory over 28-ranked Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia on Thursday night.
Kokkinakis set up a semi-final against another top 30 player, Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, at the tournament where he secured a maiden ATP title 12 months ago.
He hit 59 winners, including 22 aces, served strongly in key moments and picked up a crucial break early in the third set after a flat second-set tiebreak.
“I was a little flat coming out but you guys (the crowd) gave me legs,” Kokkinakis said on court.
(Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)
“I got my game together in that third set and started to play a little freer and went after my shots.
“I didn’t sleep much after (Wednesday night’s win over Rublev) at all. I reckon I got to sleep at 5am and maybe got a couple of hours.
“Nothing ridiculous. I was tucked away doing my compression boot. I just couldn’t sleep for whatever reason.”
Kokkinakis, ranked 110, had drawn a tricky first-round opponent at next week’s Australian Open in Italian veteran Fabio Fognini.
Bautista Agut earlier breezed past fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 6-2 in one of several daytime quarter-finals.
Young British star Jack Draper will meet lucky loser Soonwoo Kwon in the other semi-final after both had straight sets wins. Ranked world No.40, Draper upset Karen Khachanov 6-4 7-6 (7-3) to exact revenge after he fell to the Russian last week in the first of two Adelaide tournaments.
Kwon, meanwhile, beat Swedish qualifier Mikael Ymer 6-1 6-2 in exactly an hour.
Kenin powers into Hobart semis
Former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin is two wins away from her first title in three years after coming from behind to make the semi-finals of the Hobart International.
The 24-year-old, whose battles with poor form and injury saw her ranking nosedive last year, finished with a flurry to beat Ukrainian fifth seed Anhelina Kalinina 4-6 6-3 6-1 on Thursday.
Kenin, who reached a career-high world No.4 ranking not long after her Open triumph at Melbourne Park in 2020, is currently ranked 280.
It is the American’s first semi-final at WTA level or higher since her run to the final of the French Open in 2020. “I just tried to keep on fighting. She’s a tough player to play. I knew I had to hang in there,” Kenin, the 2019 Hobart winner, said.
“Match after match I’m playing better and better. I hope I can keep it going.”
Kenin, who needed a wildcard for entry at Hobart, said earlier this week she was starting to feel like herself again on court and somewhere near her best form. She didn’t drop a set in wins over world No.85 Lin Zhu and No.87 Maryna Zanevska in the first and second rounds respectively.
Kenin will meet Italian 21-year-old Elisabetta Cocciaretto for a place in the final.
Cocciaretto, who upset third seed Alize Cornet in round one, had a gruelling 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 quarter-final victory over sixth seeded American Bernarda Pera.
Kenin will relish the match practice ahead of a tough Australian Open first-round clash with two-time champion and world No.25 Victoria Azarenka.
American Lauren Davis will meet fellow qualifier Anna Blinkova in the other semi-final after both won their quarter-final matches in straight sets.
Russia’s Blinkova upset eighth seed Yulia Putintseva 6-3 6-4, while Davis beat Chinese qualifier Xinyu Wang 6-3 6-3 at night.
Lone seed Norrie advances to ‘home’ semis
Cameron Norrie has stayed on track to win his “home” ATP Tour event by beating American Marcos Giron 6-1 6-7 (7-5) 6-2 in the ASB Classic quarter-finals in Auckland.
Norrie was born in South Africa but grew up in Auckland and was a regular spectator at the ATP event before his family moved to Britain. He was warmly supported by the crowd on centre court when his quarter-final finally began 2 1/2 hours late because of rain.
The second seed thrilled the fans by racing through the first set, breaking Giron’s serve in the first, fifth and seventh games. But his first serve, which was reliable in the first set, became a little less so in the second and at the start of the third.
Giron broke Norrie in the first game of the second set but Norrie recovered the break in the fourth game. The set then went with serve until the tiebreaker in which Giron took the lead with a vital mini break on the ninth point.
“This tournament is kind of a second home for me,” Norrie said. “I grew up here, coming from Bucklands Beach Tennis Club (in suburban Auckland), and its good to be back. Playing here is very special. I was a fan at this tournament so it’s great to be playing on this court.”
“Norrie is the last surviving seed. Top-seeded Casper Ruud was beaten in the second round on Wednesday.
Norrie’s semi-final opponent will be another American, Jenson Brooksby, who beat Quentin Halys of France 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-2). On the other side of the draw, Richard Gasquet beat David Goffin 1-6 6-1 6-1.
Badosa pulls out of semi at Adelaide
Paula Badosa has withdrawn from her Adelaide International 2 semi-final with a thigh injury.
The walkover sees No.5 seed Daria Kasatkina progress to Saturday’s decider, to face the winner of Belinda Bencic and Veronika Kudermetova.
The world No.11 is hopeful of playing at the Australian Open, which begins on Monday in Melbourne.
“I’m really disappointed that I had to withdraw today because I was really looking forward to the match,” Badosa said.
“I think I was playing very good tennis, high level.
“I played three really good matches. I think that helps me, as well, on my confidence for the tournaments ahead.
“Now it’s something that I cannot control, so it is what it is.
Badosa battled to win 74 and 81-minute sets in Thursday’s gruelling quarter-final.
“Yesterday when I was playing against (Beatriz Haddad Maia), it was a very tough match, especially physical, so I felt a little bit in my abductor,” she said.
“I felt like I pulled it a little bit. Today I feel a little bit worse, so yeah, I have the Australian Open ahead, and I hope I can recover for that.
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