Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open: injured Tokyo losing finalist Sofia Kenin set to play
Organisers confirm the grand slam winner will arrive on Monday to play Mei Yamaguchi of Japan in the opening round
Sofia Kenin is still expected to be in Hong Kong this week, despite playing and losing at the Pan Pacific Open final in Tokyo with her right thigh heavily strapped on Sunday.
The organisers of the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open told the Post the 2020 Australian Open champion, who will play qualifier Mei Yamaguchi of Japan in the opening round, was expected to arrive on Monday.
At the 10,000-seat Ariake Coliseum, China’s Zheng Qinwen produced near-flawless serves to beat Kenin 7-6, 6-3, winning her third trophy this season.
Zheng hit 33 winners and fired off 16 aces as she took the victory in an hour and 52 minutes under a closed roof after heavy rain interrupted the first set.
Victory added the Tokyo title to the world No 7’s wins in Palermo and the Paris Olympics this year. The victory also sealed her place in the season-ending WTA Finals.
Kenin, meanwhile, was playing in her first final of the year and trying to end a title drought that stretches back more than four years. The American also finished runner-up at the French Open in 2020 and reached a career-high No 4 that season, before injuries, illness and off-court issues saw her drop down the rankings.
