Sofia Kenin ended her three-match losing streak at the inaugural Open 6ème Sens – Métropole de Lyon tournament in France and proceeded all the way to the title, while Elina Svitolina won the Abierto GNP Seguros trophy over the weekend.
Reigning Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin endured a tough week in Lyon, winning four three-set matches to become the first player with two WTA titles in 2020. The top-seeded Kenin recovered from a set and 5-3 down, plus saved one match point to beat qualifier Jaqueline Cristian in the second round, then the American defeated home favorite Oceane Dodin after rebounding from the loss of a straightforward 6-1 5-2 lead in the quarterfinals, then squeezed past Alison Van Uytvanck in three tiebreaks, while in the final she pushed through her fourth straight three-setter to overcome the unseeded Anna-Lena Friedsam of Germany 6-2 4-6 6-4. The 21-year-old Kenin has now moved to a new career-high ranking, from No.5 to No.4.
During her successful run at the first ever edition of the $251,750 tournament in Lyon, Kenin was wearing Fila’s Colorful Play collection — the Fila Play Halter Tank in green ash and Fila Play Flare Skirt in amparo blue. The Grand Slam champion was supposed to launch the new 30 Love collection this week at Indian Wells, but the tournament has been canceled due to coronavirus outbreak concerns.
Across the globe, in Monterrey, Mexico, Elina Svitolina, also top seed at the tournament, outlasted ninth seed Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic, 7-5 4-6 6-4, in a gritty Abierto GNP Seguros final which lasted three hours sharp.
Playing the International-level event for the first time, Svitolina, just like Kenin, snapped a three-match losing streak with her first-round win over Danka Kovinic, then beat qualifier Olga Govortsova in the second round to reach her first quarterfinals since runner-up finish at 2019 WTA Finals in Shenzhen, then won all 11 service games to see off in-form teenager Leylah Fernandez to advance to the final four where she eased past first-time WTA semifinalist Arantxa Rus.
Ukraine’s Kateryna Bondarenko, who gave birth to her second child, daughter Eva, last year, won the Monterrey doubles title partnered with Canada’s Sharon Fichman. The team defeated Miyu Kato and Wang Yafan 4-6 6-3 10-7 in the final. Bondarenko’s older daughter Karin accompanied her mom during the trophy ceremony.
