World number one Ashleigh Barty set up a ninth career meeting with two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova at the Qatar Open on Thursday. ...
World number one Ashleigh Barty set up a ninth career meeting with two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova at the Qatar Open on Thursday.
Barty saw off Spain’s Garbine Muguruza 6-1, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2 in her quarter-final in windy and chilly conditions in Doha.
“I felt like I started exceptionally well and I was able to get the ball kind of in my areas a lot more,” said the Australian top seed.
“Then in the second set Garbine was able to shift her court position and take a few more risks, put me on the back foot. It was frustrating, I felt like I wasn’t doing a lot wrong but I wasn’t making the most of my opportunities and wasn’t getting opportunities.
“So I was happy to be able to start the third set well.”
Barty has won her last three meetings with Kvitova, including the quarter-finals of the Australian Open last month.
Kvitova, the 2018 Qatar champion, trailed Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur by a break in the second set and saved two set points before securing a gruelling 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/4) win after one hour and 44 minutes.
“I’m glad how I was able to manage those tie-breaks for sure,” said the Czech left-hander.
“So I’m really glad that I improved something. It was difficult...
