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Last year’s Australian Open champion is excluded from the tournament. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP via Getty Images)
The Australian Open has its first big surprise. But it didn’t look like an upheaval at all.
Defending champion Sofia Kenin, currently ranked No.4 in the world, fell in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday against Estonia Kaia Kanepi in the second round.
Kanepi was dominant throughout, but Kenin simply had no response for his serve. The 35-year-old finished with 10 aces while winning 80% of first serve points; she also had more winners (22-10) and fewer unforced errors (17-22).
It was the second straight game in which Kenin came out flat, needing to rally in the first round against Maddison Inglis, ranked No.130 in the world. Kenin had previously admitted to having had recent difficulties with the mental side of the game while also saying a groin injury suffered before the tournament was resolved; whatever the problem, it was clear she was gone.
Kanepi, who has won four WTA tournaments in her career and is also known for upsetting Simona Halep at the 2018 US Open, will now advance to the third round, where 28th seed Donna Vekic waits.
Seeded Ash Barty holds back compatriot
Difficulty resumed in the second set, but seed Ash Barty moved on.
WTA No.1 defeated compatriot Aussie Daria Gavrilova 6-1, 7-6 (9-7) to advance to the third round of the tournament, where they will face No.29 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova.
Barty dominated the first set, beating Gavrilova in all three return games and winning every second serve return point. She hesitated a bit from there, registering 26 unforced errors in the second set, but came out victorious in a tiebreaker for the win.
Once it was all over, Barty’s priority was to get the crowd to sing “Happy Birthday” to interviewer Casey Dellacqua:
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