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Paul McNamara

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.
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.
“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.
“The match play [over the past 10 days] has helped me and last week has played a role in this week, even though I am more exhausted than in Tokyo.
“I didn’t expect much of myself because of fatigue, but I will keep going.”

Kenin lost the Tokyo championship match to China’s Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen, after playing with heavy strapping around her right thigh.
The 25-year-old insisted the issue was “just soreness” and she “definitely wanted to come to Hong Kong to see what I could do after Tokyo”.
And Kenin, a French Open runner-up in 2020, hoped her momentum would prevail over Yuan’s fresh legs, after the world No 45 enjoyed a rest day following her epic second-round win over Nao Hibino on Wednesday.
As for Zheng, the only player to beat her in seven matches, Kenin, who has climbed to world No 88, tipped the 22-year-old to follow her into the major-winners stable.
“She definitely can [win a major] – she has a big game and is a really smart player,” Kenin said.
Kenin insisted she was “doing what I can” to overcome her thigh problem, and there were no visible signs of discomfort as she purposefully bustled about the court against Ponchet.
Kenin decisively broke Ponchet at 5-5 in the opening set, after first enjoying a slice of fortune when a ball at the net fell in her favour at 30-30, then forcing her opponent to overhit a forehand following a shuddering back-of-court exchange.
Kenin consistently hit the baseline as she upped the ante in set two, but it was a deft backhand lob after drawing Ponchet to the net that earned the crucial break for 2-1.

One match point went begging on Ponchet’s serve, but Kenin made no mistake in game 10, the decisive moment coming when the Frenchwoman stopped mid-rally to errantly question a call on her own baseline.
“I played better than in the first round,” Kenin said. “[As a grand slam champion] you expect more of yourself and, in my mind, it is normal to be in the quarters, but it is not easy.”
Suzan Lamens, meanwhile, beat No 7 seed Cristina Bucsa 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and 25 minutes to set up a last-eight meeting with No 1 seed Diana Shnaider. Defending champion Leylah Fernandez will play Bernarda Pera in the quarter-finals after flattening Kimberly Birrell 6-1, 6-2.
Russian Anastasia Zakharova will battle Katie Boulter for a semi-final spot after shocking No 7 seed Varvara Gracheva 6-3, 6-1 on court No 1.


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Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open

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

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

China’s Yuan Yue stands between Sofia Kenin and a Hong Kong Tennis Open semi-final spot. Photo: Elson Li

Defending champion Leylah Fernandez will play Bernarda Pera in the quarter-finals. Photo: AFP

Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open: jet-lagged Zakharova eyes title bid after 14-hour journey

Anastasia Zakharova heads into the quarter-finals of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open on a 12-match win streak. Photo: HKCTA

Varvara Gracheva (left) and Anastasia Zakharova shake hands after their last 16 match. Photo: HKTCA

Hong Kong Open: Katie Boulter ‘out of my comfort zone’ but ‘loving incredible Hong Kong’

Hong Kong is Katie Boulter’s 23rd and final individual tournament of a year that brought the 28-year-old her first WTA500 title. Photo: Elson Li

Boulter has gained a legion of new fans on Victoria Park Tennis Stadium’s centre court. Photo: Elson Li 

Boulter outlasted China’s Wang Xinyu over two sets on Wednesday to book her last-eight spot. Photo: Elson Li 

Prudential Hong Kong Open: Boulter ‘proud’ of defiant victory over Chinese star Wang Xiyu

Katie Boulter crunches a forehand during her victory over Wang Xiyu on Wednesday. Photo: Elson Li

 An impressed Boulter tipped her vanquished Chinese opponent for a “great future”. Photo: Elson Li

Boulter will play either Varvara Gracheva or Anastasia Zakharova in Friday’s quarter-finals. Photo: Elson Li

Naomi Osaka eyes grand slam seeding, more wins, expects to be fit for Australian Open

The four-time grand slam winner Naomi Osaka trains with some young player in Causeway Bay. Photo: Elson Li

Despite being injured, Naomi Osaka came to Hong Kong to see her ‘wonderful fans’. Photo: Elson Li

Sport

Tennis

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


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.


WTA (Women's Tennis Association)