Semifinals. Kvitova def Barty

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[vector_icon icon=”fas fa-microphone”] Match Recap from Announcer Andy Taylor, Voice of the Qatar Total Open

Petra Kvitova returns to the Championship Match

Make it 10 consecutive Doha victories for Petra Kvitova. Center Court is her nest. There’s only room for one other Falcon — the same bird of prey she hoisted 2-years-ago, after defeating Garbiñe Muguruza to win the 2018 Qatar Total Open Premier-5 title.

At first, it looked like Petra tapped the “Easy Button.” She was ahead two breaks by the first changeover. But Barty quickly found her rhythm, only allowing Kvitova a pair of holds in set-2. In the decider, Petra broke first – but Ashleigh responded with a break of her own. At 3-all, a tiebreak felt inevitable.

Kvitova had other plans.

Game-7’s thin margins leaned Petra’s way. Somehow, she broke again, then held-on to win 6-4 in the 3rd. Now a back-to-back Premier-5 Qatar Total Open Finalist, she’s one of only 8 players who’ve reached the championship match in Doha twice. With a victory tomorrow, she’ll become one of four 2-time champions – joining Anastasia Myskina, Maria Sharapova, and Victoria Azarenka.

Additionally, should Petra capture the title tomorrow, she will earn her 28th career Singles title and reclaim her spot inside the WTA’s top-10. Tonight marked her 6th career victory over a World #1.

Head to Head: 9th meeting between these two top talents

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[08] Petra Kvitova -11- (CZE) | Semifinal Announcer Introduction

She is a 2-time Wimbledon Champion, a 3-time Grand Slam Finalist, an Olympic Bronze Medalist – and has lifted her country to the Fed Cup title SIX times in the past 9-years. Two-years-ago on this court, she defeated Garbine Muguruza in the championship match, lifting Doha’s famous Falcon for the first time – defeating three top-5 opponents to capture her 5th Premier-5 title. Since 2009, she has amassed 27 career Singles titles, is a 36-time Finalist on Tour, and has been ranked as high as World #2. Last night, she won her 9th consecutive match on this court, defeating Tunisian sensation Ons Jabeur in 2 tiebreak sets to reach tonight’s Semifinal. From the Czech Republic, please welcome 2018 Doha Champion Petra Kvitova.

• SF — W | [1] Ashleigh Barty -01- (AUS) | Score: 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
• QF — W | [WC] Ons Jabeur -44- (TUN) | Score: 7-6(2), 7-6(4) | RECAP
• R3 — W | Jelena Ostapenko -42- (LAT) | Score: 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 | RECAP
• R2 — W | Carla Suarez Navarro -70- (ESP) | Score: 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 | RECAP
• R1 — BYE

Announcer Corner | Doha: Petra Kvitova

In 2018, Petra was unstoppable. She came into Doha on a 7-match win streak, after winning St. Petersburg and both of her Fed Cup Singles Rubbers in Prague. She opened her Premier-5 run with a win over Cagla Buyukakcay, then outlasted Agnieszka Radwanska after losing a tough 1st-set tiebreak. Petra then took-out World #3 Elina Svitolina, World #10 Julia Görges, World #1 Caroline Wozniacki, and up-ended World #4 Garbine Muguruza in the championship match. She extended her win-streak to 14-matches at Indian Wells, before falling to 16-year-old Amanda Anisimova in the 3rd-Round of the BNP Paribas Open. Kvitova won 5-titles that year and made her triumphant return to the top-10, after 2016’s knife attack nearly ended her extraordinary career.

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[1] Ashleigh Barty -01- (AUS) | Semifinal Announcer Introduction

She is the reigning Roland Garros and WTA Finals Champion – and last month, enjoyed another outstanding Australian Summer – capturing her 8th WTA Singles title in Auckland, and reaching her 2nd Grand Slam Singles Semifinal at the Australian Open. In 2019, she was extraordinary – she won 4 Singles titles, her first Major at the French Open, reached the US Open Doubles Final, lifted Australia to the Fed Cup Final for the first time in 26-years, and finished the season as the year-end World #1. Last night, she earned a 3-set win over 2018 Finalist Garbine Muguruza to reach the Semifinals in her Doha debut. From Australia, please welcome the #1 Player in the World, Ashleigh Barty.

• SF — L | [8] Petra Kvitova -11- (CZE) | Score: 4-6, 6-2, 4-6
• QF — W | [11] Garbiñe Muguruza -16- (ESP) | Score: 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-2 | RECAP
• R3 — wo | [14] Elena Rybakina -17- (UKR) | walkover | RECAP
• R2 — W | [Q] Laura Siegemund -73- (GER) | Score: 6-3, 6-2 | RECAP
• R1 — BYE

Announcer Corner | Doha: Ashleigh Barty

Before this week, Ashleigh had never played in either Doha or Dubai. She was scheduled to make her Arabian Gulf debut last week in Dubai – but withdrew two weeks prior, still dealing with pain in her right foot after the Semifinal run in Melbourne. Since claiming the World #1 title for the first time after capturing the Birmingham title last June, she has now spent 32-weeks combined as the sport’s top-ranked talent.