Sofia Kenin’s journey in the Cleveland Open came to an end in the quarter-finals on Thursday. Bernarda Pera ousted her compatriot 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 in two hours and two minutes. Pera won 71% of her first-serve points to Kenin’s 59% and 59% of her second-serve points to the latter’s 45%.
Pera faced eight break points but saved five of them, and went on to convert six of the seven break points that came her way on Kenin’s serve. She finished the match with 92 points to Kenin’s 74. This is the second time this year that Kenin’s lost in the quarter-finals of an event.
Prior to this, she’d lost to Ashleigh Barty in the quarters in Adelaide at the start of the year.
Cleveland Open: Alize Cornet continues to add momentum
Meanwhile, Pera will play Liudmila Samsonova next. Samsonova defeated Magda Linette, 6-4.
6-3 in an hour and 34 minutes. Samsonova put in 57% of her first serves to the Pole’s 72%. But where the latter won 68% of her first-serve points, Samsonova won 77%. Samsonova also won 71% of points on return on Linette’s second serve while winning 46% of her second-serve points.
Four breaks of Linette serve allowed Samsonova to clinch the win even as she dropped her serve once across the match. Aliaksandra Sasnovich stopped Madison Brengle in the quarter-finals, winning 6-4, 6-1 in an hour and 12 minutes.
The seventh seed converted all four break points she had on the American’s serve while saving two of the three break points she faced. Sasnovich’s opponent in the semi-finals of the Cleveland Open will be eighth seed, Alize Cornet.
The Frenchwoman ousted Shuai Zhang 6-4, 6-2 in an hour and 37 minutes in their quarter-final match-up. Cornet saved all five break points she faced while converting three break points on Zhang’s serve. The clash between Sasnovich and Cornet will ensure that only seed remains in the draw as they are the only two seeded players left in the tournament.
