![]() After a humdrum 6-1, 6-2 Kvitova victory in the 2012 French Open they would not meet again for five years, until Kvitova came through a three-setter at Edgbaston in 2017. These matches have, though, been increasingly close. She faces Petra Kvitova, veteran of five Grand Slam semi-finals, 10 quarter-finals, winner of two Wimbledon titles, and winner also of the only three previous matches between these two players. Ashleigh Barty, the 22-year-old from Ipswich, Queensland, is in her first Grand Slam quarter-final, having only once previously made it past the round of 32. It’s a semi-final so, who cares?įor the first time in a decade there is an Australian woman in the second week of the singles at the Australian Open. She’s very fearless and she’s been very aggressive. Hopefully it will be less than three hours here. She’s asked about Danielle Collins, who she beat in a gruelling three-setter in Brisbane not long ago: I didn’t really imagine being back on this great stadium and playing with the best. When Jim Courier brings up the challenges Kvitova has had to face to return to a Slam semi-final, she gets a bit teary: ![]() ![]() In the second she came back, she didn’t give me anything for free and I really had to fight until the end. I started better, I served well, I took the first break. She’s such a nice person and you should be very proud of her. Here’s what she says:įirst, I’m sorry guys. She hit 25 winners to Barty’s eight, which is the only statistic you need. The 22-year-old dug in at the start of the second set and began to disrupt Kvitova’s rhythm but chances to break came and went in the opening two games and, when the Czech seized her opportunity at 5-4, the end swiftly followed.īarty has had a great run, and there will be more to come from her. Here it was Kvitova who raced through the opener, her clean power-hitting too much for Barty, who looked to be feeling the weight of expectation upon her shoulders. In the final a little over a week ago she defeated Barty in a tight tussle decided by a third-set tie-break after the Australian had won the opening set for the loss of only one game. Kvitova’s comeback has been one of the sport’s more remarkable stories but her failure to back up impressive form on the WTA Tour at the grand slams last year meant she arrived in Melbourne with little fanfare despite winning the warm-up tournament in Sydney. The 28-year-old became emotional when asked about the struggles she has been through, choking back tears as she said: “I didn’t really imagine to be back in this great stadium, it’s great.” She came back well, she didn’t give me anything for free and I really had to fight until the end.” Kvitova began her on-court interview by apologising to the deflated crowd, saying: “I’m sorry guys. Kvitova’s victory, meanwhile, ensures Simona Halep will be replaced as world No 1, although Naomi Osaka, Karolina Pliskova and Elina Svitolina are also in the frame. The Czech has not lost more than five games in any of her matches so far and is through to the last four at a slam for the first time since winning her second Wimbledon title in 2014 and a little over two years after fearing she might never play again when she was stabbed in the hand by an intruder at her home. Petra Kvitova ended hopes of a home singles champion at the Australian Open with a crushing victory over Ashleigh Barty in the quarter-finals.īarty was the first Australian woman to reach the last eight for 10 years and there was optimism she could become the first home winner since Chris O’Neil in 1978, but Kvitova was in devastating form in a 6-1, 6-4 victory.
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