Kenin Fights Off Four Match Points to Reach Tokyo Semifinals

Sofia Kenin staged a stunning comeback Friday to upset No. 3 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-0, 2-6, 7-6 (3) and reach the semifinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

Kenin trailed 5-2 in the final set but saved four match points before sealing the tiebreak in two hours and 17 minutes. The American absorbed 12 aces from Alexandrova but held firm in key moments to book her place in the final four.

Next, Kenin will face No. 5 seed Belinda Bencic, who survived a tense 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 battle against Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic. In the other semifinal, No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan moved past Canada’s Victoria Mboko 6-3, 7-6 (4) to set up a clash with sixth seed Linda Noskova, who was leading 6-0, 1-0 when Anna Kalinskaya retired due to injury.

Stay updated on all semifinal odds, player stats, and surface matchups through Sportshub’s Tennis Picks and Tennis Odds pages for complete WTA coverage.

Ann Li, Claire Liu Advance as Americans Split in Guangzhou

American tennis split its results in Friday’s Guangzhou Open quarterfinals, with Ann Li and Claire Liu both advancing to the semifinals in China.

No. 2 seed Li powered past Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy 6-3, 6-4, earning a meeting with China’s Shuai Zhang, who needed nearly three hours to outlast Katie Volynets 7-6 (5), 5-7, 7-5.

Liu also rallied from a set down, defeating Germany’s Ella Seidel 4-6, 6-0, 6-4 to reach her third semifinal of the season. She’ll face Australia’s Lulu Sun, who battled back to beat American Caty McNally 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

For insights into upcoming semifinal matchups and form trends, check out Sportshub’s Expert Tennis Betting Guide for deep analysis and player performance metrics.