Kvitova beats Kerber in three-and-a-half hour marathon in Wuhan

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  • That winning feeling: Kvitova (Credit: Visual China Group)

    Petra Kvitova limped into the press conference room in Wuhan, looking utterly exhausted, following what was arguably one of the best WTA matches in 2016 – a clash that saw her battle for almost three and a half hours to beat world No1 Angelique Kerber on Wednesday.

    In a showdown between the two highest-ranked lefties on tour – two ladies with a couple of grand slam titles each and a tight head-to-head record against each other, Kvitova was the one walking away as a winner, 6-7 (10), 7-5, 6-4 to set-up a quarter-final meeting with Great Britain’s Johanna Konta. She evened the score against Kerber in the process and they are now locked at 5-5 in career meetings.

    The match witnessed 12 breaks of serve, and saw the top-seeded Kerber save six match points before finally surrendering to a peak version of Kvitova, who blasted 55 winners throughout the encounter.

    “I think we played really good matches in the past. We are always playing tough matches and close ones. Today was a really special, special one, because we played like over three hours. We played on a really high level the whole three hours,” said a dejected Kerber.

    “There are no losers today. Of course, I mean she won the last point, so I think the match was just decided in one, two points, and that’s it. Yeah, I was trying to fight, but she deserved it at the end.

    “I think when I sleep tonight and waking up tomorrow, of course I’m a little bit disappointed. But tomorrow when I look back at the match, I think it was a good one and I just can go with positive emotions to Beijing. I am still playing good. I’m looking forward to the last few tournaments of the year.”

    Czeched out: Kerber loses to Kvitova.

    Czeched out: Kerber loses to Kvitova (Credit: Visual China Group)

    Kvitova almost won the first set as she got a set point on the Kerber serve in the 12th game but the world No1 saved it with a fearless backhand down the line winner to force a tiebreak. Kerber saved three more set points in the breaker before grabbing it 12-10 for a one-set lead.

    With so many missed opportunities, Kvitova could have waved the white flag and checked out, but she didn’t. Instead, she broke to start the second set and despite dropping serve while serving for it, she regained her advantage and drew level.

    The Czech world No16 broke early in the decider but Kerber was relentless. Kvitova had to find her wheels during that third set as she fought through a 41-shot rally, which she lost on a poor backhand smash, in the eighth game. She saved seven break points to hold for 5-3.

    Serving for the match in game 10, she hit two winners and an ace to go up 40-0, but Kerber again pegged her back. Kvitova started cramping and double-faulted but somehow found it in her to complete the victory on her seventh match point.


    “My body, it’s just really tired I think. I had cramps almost everywhere. But hopefully it will be fine. I should play tomorrow again, so I hope that I will recover kind of fast. I will do what is possible to recover for tomorrow,” said Kvitova.

    “This match probably showed me a lot about how good I can play again and how I do feel inside and how I can still be strong mentally. I think it’s a very good signs.”

    Soon after on centre court, third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska snapped Caroline Wozniacki’s seven-match winning streak 6-4, 6-2 to book a quarter-final against Svetlana Kuznetsova, who ended Venus Williams’ title defence on Wednesday with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph.

    Wozniacki needed treatment during the match for her neck and she later revealed that it had been hurting her since Tuesday.

    “It was my neck, I started feeling it yesterday already before my match, I had some problems with the neck. Then it kind of loosened up during the match yesterday but then this morning it was just worse. I was struggling with it today, but tried my best and just kind of played through it, but it was very tough,” said Wozniacki, who had beaten Radwanska en route to the Tokyo title last week.

    “I think I must have slept badly or something, so the neck just kind of got stuck. But hopefully just a couple of days then hopefully I’ll be good to go.”


    Earlier in the day, Simona Halep and Madison Keys both claimed victories and will face-off in the last-eight today.

    Halep beat Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3, 6-3 while Keys fought off an inspired Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

    The fourth-seeded Halep had retired from her doubles match with Jelena Ostapenko the day before when a ball hit her left ear and the Romanian explained it was a painful experience.

    “Me and (Bethanie) Mattek-Sands, we were at the net. Ostapenko wanted to hit the backhand from down the middle, or forehand, I’m not sure. I was with my eyes forward,” said Halep. “She hit me just here (left side of the head). She hit me with the ball like 150 kilometres per hour. I was dizzy in the first moment, but then was much better. So now I feel pain all around here, but it’s okay.”

    Halep can secure her qualification spot at the WTA Finals in Singapore if she beats Keys on Thursday.

    Rain washed out play on Court 1 halfway through the day which meant that two singles last-16 clashes – Barbora Strycova v Jelena Jankovic, Karolina Pliskova v Dominika Cibulkova – were pushed to Thursday. The winners of those matches will have to play twice on Thursday since Wuhan has a Saturday final, not Sunday.

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