Pera eliminates Kenin, advances to semifinals in Cleveland

By BRIAN DULIK
Associated Press

CLEVELAND (AP) — Bernarda Pera won her 13th consecutive WTA Tour match, beat former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 on Thursday night in the Tennis in The Land quarterfinals. Pera, ranked 51st, has not lost in a main draw since Wimbledon two months ago. She will face Liudmila Samsonova of Russia in a battle of unseeded semifinalists at the U.S. Open tune-up event. Fellow American Kenin, who has been plagued by injuries since winning the 2020 title in Melbourne, ended Pera’s 25-set winning streak before dropping the 2-hour, 2-minute match on the stadium court at Jacobs Pavilion. No. 45 Samsonova beat Magda Linette of Poland 6-4, 6-3.