World number 58 Sofia Kenin came back from a break down in the third set to beat Ons Jabeur 7-5 2-6 6-4 at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome. Kenin scored her biggest win since last September and only her fourth victory in 2024.
Kenin started the 2024 season with eight consecutive defeats, but she came back by winning two consecutive matches for the first time since September.
Kenin has scored her first win against a top 10 player since last year’s Wimbledon, when she beat Coco Gauff, and her third top 10 win on clay after beating Serena Williams at Roland Garros 2019 and Aryna Sabalenka in Rome 2023.
Kenin broke serve in the sixth game to open up a 5-2 lead. Jabeur broke back in the ninth game and held serve to draw level to 5-5 and earned a chance to break for 6-5, but Kenin broke in the 12th game at deuce to take a 7-5.
The second set started with five consecutive breaks. Kenin took control of the match by winning four consecutive games with two breaks to seal the second set 6-3.
Jabeur broke serve in the first game of the third set and earned two double break points in the third game. Kenin held serve before breaking back in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. The match went on serve until 5-4.
Kenin earned two consecutive match points on Jabeur’s serve. Jabeur saved them, one of them with a forehand drop-shot. The Tunisian player fended off the third match point with an ace, but Kenin sealed the win on her fourth match point to reach a third round for the first time this season. Kenin set up a match against Rebecca Sramkova, who beat Katie Boulter 6-4 7-6 (10-8).
“I am feeling great, happy how I feel like I have come a long way. It’s going in the right direction. I feel like the hard work is paying off. The fact that I am still fighting. I love the surface, the courts here. I feel like they are slow, which suits my favourite conditions. There is no altitude like Madrid, which I love. I feel like I am very comfortable here ”, said Kenin.
