Ben Shelton, Sofia Kenin, Caroline Dolehide reach tour-level finals

Kenin, Dolehide back in Top 100 after final runs in Asia

Kenin entered Tokyo with an 8-20 record on the WTA Tour this season, but for the second straight year, she has saved some of her best tennis for late in the campaign. Kenin knocked off three seeded opponents at the WTA 500, beating 10th seed Wang Xinyu in the opening round, third seed Daria Kasatkina in the quarters and ninth seed Katie Boulter in the semis. In her most dramatic match of the week, the American won a third-set tiebreak against Clara Tauson, battling back from a set down against the Dane.

Kenin was turned back by top seed and reigning Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, 7-6(5), 6-3, in the final — but the 25-year-old left with her head held high.

"Definitely this week means a lot to me, going where I've been coming from this past year," said the 2020 Australian Open champ.

The former world No. 5 entered Tokyo at No. 155 in the WTA rankings but jumped 67 places to No. 88 after her success. It's the second year in a row that Kenin has authored a strong closing chapter to her season: In 2023, she fell to world No. 93 after the US Open but surged back into the Top 50 with a run to the San Diego semifinals and the Guadalajara semis.

Dolehide reached her second career final with a dramatic run as a qualifier in Guangzhou. The American battled for three hours and 18 minutes to upset second seed Marie Bouzkova in the second round, and later saved four match points against Lucia Bronzetti in a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(9) semifinal victory. She was turned back by Serbia's Olga Danilovic in Sunday's final.

The 26-year-old moved up 23 places from No. 101 to No. 78 behind her run. Dolehide hit a career-high singles ranking of No. 41 last October, to go along with her recent doubles high of No. 9.