Kenin's Melbourne heroics forged from turbulent family past

Sofia Kenin's far on Friday reflected on ir journey from Soviet Union all way to Saturday's Australian Open final, saying it helped make his daughter player she is today. 21-year-old Kenin, who plays Spain's Garbine Muguruza in Melbourne final, has me a name for herself in past fortnight for her aggression and tenacity. Kenin -- who prefers to go by name "Sonya" -- was born in Moscow but is a fiercely proud American.

14th seed, who stunned world number one Ashleigh Barty in semi-finals, has a racquet decorated with stars and stripes. On eve of biggest match of her fast-burgeoning career, her far Alexander, who is also her coach, retold family story. He and wife Lena left Soviet Union in 1987, initially for New York, returning to Russia for Sofia's birth in 1998 so a grandmor could help with newborn.

family would later settle in Florida and Kenin says her parents sacrificed mselves "so I could have American dream". Alexander said: "I wanted a better future for my kids and it (n Soviet Union) was a completely different country (to what it is today).

"thing was allowed and we tried to get out for eight years.

"y controlled everything, we didn't see world, you were just stuck."

Leaving friends and family behind and heing into unkwn of United States was a wrench, said Alexander, and life was tough eking out a living in New York. Alexander was a taxi driver by night and went to English and computer school by day.

"I don't think she experienced all sacrifices we h to go through, but she kws about m," he said.

"It was very, very tough. I h to work at night, go to school in morning. Driving in New York, speaking English on (taxi) rio. I h idea what y were saying.

"But it's amazing things you do to survive. She kws about that and I think it me her tough."

Kenin, who will usurp Serena Williams as top-ranked American if she wins final, picked up a racquet for first time at three-and-a-half, hitting balls in driveway of ir Florida home. She never showed any interest in dolls, her far said. Unlike Kenin's hero Maria Sharapova, who me a similar journey with her family to United States but represented Russia, Alexander says re was never a debate about where her loyalties lay.

"She has very little connection with Russia, except fact she was born re," he said.

Asked how he would describe his daughter, surprise-pack of Australian Open, his face lights up.

"She's best person in world, that's it," he said.