Aryna Sabalenka survives Sofia Kenin scare, Marta Kostyuk takes down Leylah Fernandez as Rome Open repeat or revenge showdown set
WTA
Aryna Sabalenka was staring deja vu in the face when she faced off against Sofia Kenin at the Rome Open but champions find a way to win and she did just that on Sunday afternoon.
Sabalenka lost during the 2023 Rome Open to Kenin 7-6, 6-2 and had to claw back to seal the win. She lost the opening set to the tenacious American 6-3. It was only nine unforced errors compared to 13 and also taking chances that she was given as she won 3/6 on the break points.
This compared to 1/7 from Sabalenka who just wasn't at the races during the early going. But she found a way. She fought back breaking early in the second set to go 3-1 up before breaking again for 4-1 as she looked to suddenly have the match in the palm of her hand again.
She was broken back though immediately erasing one of the two breaks she got early. She then had chances from 40-30 up at 4-3 to break again but Kenin survived only to be broken in the next service game for Sabalenka to claim it 6-3 and go into a final set.
That final set was a topsy turvy affair with Kenin losing her serve after seven break points prior in favour of Sabalenka all went awry. But ironically she was broken straight back by the American who stayed with her until 4-2.
Kostyuk tie set
Sabalenka missed chances to close it out at 5-2 and then had to serve it out and she did just that. She now faces Marta Kostyuk.
Kostyuk has been stellar as of late and will look for revenge after the rain dramas in Madrid. It saw Sabalenka force the duo to go off court due to rain despite protestation.
When they returned, Sabalenka won in two close sets but Kostyuk has been playing supremely this week seeing off Daria Kasatkina and then easing past Leylah Fernandez to start today. She sealed it 6-4, 6-2 and now has her sights on the World No.1. If it is a poor display like today, it is not only the bottom half of the draw which would be unlocked in favour of an unseeded player to march through.
Match Statistics Sabalenka vs. Kenin
| Sabalenka | VS | Kenin |
|---|---|---|
| Service | ||
| 5 | Aces | 1 |
| 4 | Double Faults | 8 |
| 62% (44/71) | 1st Service Percentage | 63% (78/124) |
| 59% (26/44) | 1st Service Points Won | 58% (45/78) |
| 52% (14/27) | 2nd Service Points Won | 33% (14/42) |
| 38% (3/8) | Break Points Saved | 70% (16/23) |
| 62% (8/13) | Service Games | 46% (6/13) |
| Return | ||
| 42% (33/78) | 1st Return Points Won | 41% (18/44) |
| 67% (28/42) | 2nd Return Points Won | 48% (13/27) |
| - | Break Points Saved | - |
| Other | ||
| 2h 09m | Match Duration | 2h 09m |
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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
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