Sofia Kenin crashes out of WTA 125 event in Angers after initial great start

| by Sebastian Dahlman

Sofia Kenin's quest for a good run in France came to an end on Thursday, as the American suffered a surprise defeat at the hands of Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina.

The match, which took place at the WTA 125 event in Angers, France, saw the second-seeded Kalinina, who previously defeated another American Katrina Scott, triumph 4-6, 4-6 in an hour and 31 minutes.

Despite entering the contest after previous dominant win, Kenin was unable to find her best form on the day. The 24-year-old American struggled to cope with Kalinina's powerful groundstrokes, and was repeatedly forced onto the back foot by her aggressive opponent.

Kalinina, ranked 53rd in the world, made her intentions clear from the outset, playing with a high level of aggression and determination. She took the opening set 6-4, breaking Kenin's serve on two occasions and making the most of her own opportunities on serve.

"I saw everyone playing tournaments I was supposed to be playing " - Kenin on painful recovery
"I saw everyone playing tournaments I was supposed to be playing " - Kenin on painful recovery

In the second set, Kenin fought hard to stay in the contest, but was unable to find a way past Kalinina's rock-solid defense. The Ukrainian continued to apply pressure on the American's serve, breaking her twice more to secure the win and advance to the next round.

The result marks the first time in the last two months that Kenin has failed to reach the quarterfinals, and will no doubt be a disappointment for the American. However, with the Australian Open fast approaching, Kenin will have little time to dwell on the loss, as she looks to get her season back on track in the coming weeks.

On the other hand, Kalinina will prepare for her quarterfinal meeting with youngster Clara Tauson, who is yet to lose a set in France as she defeated Sabine Lisicki and Anna Blinkova.

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