Kamilla Rakhimova defeats Sofia Kenin at major tournament in China

The prestigious women's tennis tournament WTA 1000 — Wuhan Open has kicked off in Wuhan, China. In this major competition with a prize pool of over 3.221 million dollars, Uzbekistan's second-racquet Kamilla Rakhimova started her participation with a brilliant victory.

In the qualifying semifinals, our compatriot easily defeated world tennis star and Grand Slam champion Sofia Kenin of the United States with a crushing score of 6:0, 6:3.

Vibrant match and 93-minute dominance

The encounter between the opponents, who faced each other on the court for the first time, was under the complete control of the Uzbek tennis player:

• Absolute dominance in the first set (6:0): Kamilla started the match at a high tempo, leaving the 2020 Australian Open champion without a single game and stunning her with a "clean" score;

• Winning point (6:3): Although Kenin tried to put up a fight in the second set, Rakhimova did not lose her advantage and snatched the victory in a battle that lasted 93 minutes;

• Ace superiority: Throughout the match, Kamilla hit 6 aces (serves resulting in direct points), while her American opponent was limited to just 2 aces.

Ranking indicators and renowned opponent

• Sofia Kenin's status: The 25-year-old Kenin once climbed to 4th place in the world rankings, is the 2020 Australian Open champion and Roland Garros 2020 finalist. Currently, she occupies the 107th position in the WTA rankings;

• Kamilla Rakhimova's standing: Seeded 15th in the qualifiers, Kamilla is currently ranked 76th in the world rankings and has the opportunity to further improve her points through this victory.

Main draw ticket: The decisive final ahead

Having advanced to the qualifying final, Kamilla Rakhimova will now fight for a spot in the main stage of the WTA 1000 tournament:

• Tomorrow's opponent: Our compatriot will play against the host nation's representative, Chinese tennis player Han Shi, who is ranked 231st in the world rankings, in the decisive qualifying match;

• Goal: If Rakhimova triumphs in this match as well, she will continue her games in the main draw of the Wuhan Open, which features the world's best tennis players.