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Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open: rejuvenated major champ Sofia Kenin on Victoria Park roll

The American world No 88 will meet Yuan Yue of China in quarter-finals, with Leylah Fernandez set to continue title defence against Bernarda Pera

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Sofia Kenin is playing down concerns over the condition of her right thigh. Photo: AFP

Sofia Kenin continued her end-of-year resurrection with a no-nonsense straight sets victory over Jessika Ponchet to set up a Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open quarter-final tie with China’s Yuan Yue on Friday.

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American Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion and former world No 4, dropped to 168 in the rankings last month following a chastening 2024.

She lost nine straight matches from January and had not progressed beyond the last-16 of any tournament before unexpectedly reaching the final of a WTA500 event in Tokyo last week.

On Thursday, Kenin blended aggression with guile, as she showed flashes of her grand-slam winning tennis to beat Ponchet 7-5, 6-4 in one hour and 17 minutes on Victoria Park Tennis Stadium’s centre court.

“I have had lots of ups and downs, but I have a great support system of family and friends, which really helps me,” Kenin told the Post.

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“I am happy things are clicking, but I’d love 2025 to be sustainable so I am getting wins at every tournament instead of having my back against the wall and playing clutch tennis.

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