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Patna : Top seed Ashleigh Barty, 23, Australia, and World No 15 Sofia Kenin, 21, USA, entered the semi-finals of Australian Open (AO) 2020 winning their respective quarter-finals matches in straight sets at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on January 28, 2020. Both the players have reached AO semi-finals for the first time. They will clash in the semi-finals on January 30, 2020.
World No 1 Ashleigh Barty beat two-time former Wimbledon Champion Petra Kvitova, 29, Czech Republic, 7-6, 6-2 in quarter-finals at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne Park, on January 28.
Reigning French Open Champion Barty won 4 break points in the match to 2 by Kvitová.. She also won 5 games in a row in the match to 2 by Kvitová. The Australian fired 5 Aces to 2 by the Czech. Barty won 50 service points to 39 by Kvitová, who has won 27 career titles and had reached AO Final in 2019. Kvitova had won Wimbledon title in 2011 and 2014. Barty saved 5 break points in 7th game of the first set that lasted almost 10 minutes. The first set lasted 71 minutes.
Sofia Kenin, the 14th seed, beat World No 78 Ons Jabeur, 25, Tunisia, 6-4, 6-4 in 92 minutes in quarter-finals at Rod Laver Arena. The American won 3 break points in the match to 1 by Jabeur. She also won 3 games in a row to 2 by Jabeur, who is yrt to win a WTA title. The Tunisian, however, fired 5 Aces in the match to none by Kenin, who has won 3 WTA titles. But, the American won 48 service points to 36 by Jabeur. Kenin committed 3 double faults to 1 by Jabeur, who had reached QFs of a Grand Slam for the first time.