Ashleigh Barty stunned by Sofia Kenin in Australian Open semi-final

Image Credits: Twitter/@ashbar96

World number one Ashleigh Barty suffered a major blow as she crashed out of the season-opening Australian Open after slumping to straight-sets defeat at the hands of American tennis player Sofia Kenin in the semi-final of the women's singles event at the Melbourne Park on Thursday. 

Kenis saved set points in both sets and held her nerves to swept aside top-ranked Barty 7-6(6), 7-5 in a thrilling last-four clash that lasted one hour and 45 minutes at Rod Laver Arena. 

With the win, the 14th-seed American has now stormed into the summit showdown of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career besides also improving her head-to-head record against Barty 2-4.

While 21-year-old Kenin also became the youngest tennis player to storm into the final of the Australian Open since Ana Ivanovic in 2008, Barty was looking to become the first Australian woman in 40 years to reach the summit showdown in Melbourne since Wendy Turnbull’s run in 1980.

Expressing her disappointment to knock out of the tournament, Barty admitted that she failed to play biggest points well enough to emerge victorious while also lauding her opponent Sofia for playing aggressively on those points. 

“Yeah, it's disappointing. But it's been a hell of a summer. I mean, if you would have told me three weeks ago that we would have won a tournament in Adelaide, made the semifinals of the Australian Open, I'd take that absolutely every single day of the week.But I put myself in a position to win the match today and just didn't play the biggest points well enough to be able to win," the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) quoted Barty as saying. 

“I have to give credit where credit's due. Sofia came out and played aggressively on those points and deserved to win," she added. 

Kenin will now lock horns with the winner of another semi-final clash between former World No.1 Garbine Muguruza and reigning Wimbledon champion Simona Halep.