First set: Barty 3-3 Kenin* (* denotes server): Both players are clearly trying to adjust to the searing heat and Barty struggles with an ice towel during the change of ends. One point into this game and Barty has challenged Kenin’s second serve, which was called in. Hawkeye reveals it was a smidgen out. That moment seems to have put Kenin off her game slightly and all of a sudden the American is down two break points. Barty, still struggling to get her backhand in range, saves them both for her and we’re at deuce. As ever, I’ve spoken too soon and an absolute peach of a backhand cuts a swathe down the line and gives Australia’s golden girl the advantage. Back to deuce. Advantage Kenin. Deuce. Advantage Kenin. Hold.
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First set: Barty* 3-2 Kenin (* denotes server): Another backhand unforced error from the Australian here, but we’ll forgive her given it’s sandwiched between four aces. Enough said.
First set: Barty 2-2 Kenin* (* denotes server): Barty begins as the aggressor, pumping that forehand repeatedly across court before walloping another errant backhand long. Kenin is up 40-0 before she knows it and takes the risk by going for the sliced dropshot. Barty races into the net and her challenger responds with a lovely lob straight over her head.
First set: Barty* 2-1 Kenin (* denotes server): Still on serve here as Barty holds to love. She kicks off with two consecutive aces, cool as you like, followed by a forehand down the line that’s heavy on the top spin and sneaky on the direction.
First set: Barty 1-1 Kenin* (* denotes server): Two unforced errors from Barty allow Kenin to take control of this game but the American dispatches one of her own off her forehand to make it 30-30. Two more unforced backhand errors later and Kenin holds.
First set: Barty* 1-0 Kenin (* denotes server): Barty’s first service game is safely negotiated. She takes her time to get set and puts away a regulation smash from the net. Up 40-15, she serves a fault and then lands a shot out off her second. But Kenin does the same on the following point.
Weather: The forecast is a maximum 39 degrees at Melbourne Arena, which apparently makes it the hottest day of the tournament yet. Will the roof be put up at some point during this contest.
Barty gets a big cheer from the home crowd, featuring some serious sporting royalty in Cathy Freeman. Australia’s most celebrated Indigenous athlete is clearly a big fan of Barty, a proud Ngaragu woman.
“I can confidently say on behalf of Aussies and particularly the Indigenous community we’re very proud of her,” Freeman said at Thursday’s Inspirational Lunch. “I think the impact that she can have on everybody but particularly young girls is quite profound. Her achievements and her story will get onto the psyche and into the blood of so many young girls around not just Australia, but the world, it’s very cool. She’s an amazing role model. She seems to have a really good head on her shoulders, really community-minded, not too overawed by the success she’s having – it’s wonderful.”
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Head to head: Barty owns a 4-1 career record over Kenin, but they’ve split their past two meetings at Toronto and Wuhan. Sam Groth is on Nine expecting there to be nerves at both ends of the court.
John McEnroe, of Margaret Court protest fame, believes Barty has the edge over Kevin because “she’s got more variety than any other players”.
“She drives them a little crazy, unsettles them. They don’t know quite what to do,” McEnroe told the Nine Network. “She uses that slice great, she’s a very good volleyer, having played a lot of doubles … she’s got a sneaky big serve for someone who’s not very tall.
“Perspective has helped her. Her stepping away from the game when she was younger, a bit overwhelmed I guess by the attention and the expectation. She’s come back a far better player. She’s handled it pretty darn well.”
It’s already been a day of days for Australia on Rod Laver Arena, where Max Purcell and Luke Saville have beaten Ivan Dodig and Filip Polášek in three sets and are into the men’s doubles final.
Go one step further and the pair will become the first all-Australian team to win the doubles since the days of the Woodies. Quite something for the wildcards.
Preamble
Greetings everyone and welcome to live coverage of the women’s singles semi-finals at the Australian Open. And what a treat we’re in for, with world No 1 and local hero Ash Barty facing American Sofia Kenin on her mission to become the first Australian woman to contest her home grand slam final for 40 years.
The last to achieve such a feat was Wendy Turnbull back in 1980. Some perspective, for you all. That was the year Evonne Goolagong Cawley won the last of her seven grand slams at Wimbledon, the year a dingo stole baby Azaria Chamberlain, and when the late Malcolm Fraser was in office and so was Dame Edna Everage’s “wisteria hue” hair.
Most pertinently, though, it was 16 years before Barty was born. No pressure, as they say. The 23-year-old Queenslander has already made history at this tournament, having become the first Australian woman since Turnbull in 1984 to make the semi-finals after Tuesday’s straight-sets defeat of two-time major champion Petra Kvitová.
The reigning French Open champion has never ventured this deep into the draw before, and could be on a final collision course with Simona Halep, the only player in either draw yet to lose a set this fortnight, should the world No 3 see off world No 32 Garbiñe Muguruza in the second semi-final later this afternoon.
But first there’s the small matter of 21-year-old Kenin, the world No 14 unexpectedly carrying the weight of her own nation as the only American of either gender still left in the draw.
While the attention was on Serena and Venus Williams and fast-rising 15-year-old Coco Gauff, Kenin was quietly and improbably ploughing her way through a star-studded quarter of the draw, bettering Gauff in the fourth round and then unseeded Tunisian Ons Jabeur in the quarter-finals.
Both players boast well-balanced games and like to dictate play so this should be a belter.
Feel free to share your thoughts via email [email protected] or Twitter @emmavkemp.
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