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[vector_icon icon=”fas fa-microphone”] Match Recap from Announcer Andy Taylor, Voice of the Qatar Total Open
Petra Kvitova advances to the Round of 16
Day-3’s first clash featured the 13th meeting between two former Qatar Total Open champions. Carla Suarez Navarro captured the biggest title of her career on this court 4-years-ago. Petra Kvitova earned the last Premier-5 Doha title in 2018.
For 11-years, Carla Suarez Navarro’s blinding backhand has been one of Petra Kvitova’s toughest obstacles. Especially in the Arabian Gulf. In fact, check out their head-to-head below. Carla earned three consecutive 3-set victories over Kvitova in Dubai and Doha during the the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Each owned six wins before tonight’s match. Once again, they split sets and settled it in a decider.
But this time, Petra was unbeatable down the stretch. In Carla’s final season on Tour, Petra Kvitova got another chance to test her wits against the 2016 Qatar Total Open champion’s tenacity. And tonight, earned her first win over Suarez Navarro in the Middle East.
Head to Head: 13th meeting between these two players
Two tremendous talents. Tons of respect, on and off the court
With the exception of trophy presentations, it’s not often we hear from both the winner and loser after a match. Carla Suarez Navarro earned that exception. In 2016, not only did she win the Singles title, she and Sara Errani teamed to reach the Doubles final. It was one of those rare moments on Tour where the Singles Championship opened-up for the Doubles Final. Though she and Sara fell to the Chan sisters, two championship matches on the same day solidified Carla’s spot in Doha lore.
Only one other player has reached both the Singles and Doubles Final on the same year — Sadrine Testud during the tournament’s 2001 debut. That year, Sadrine fell to Martina Hingis in the Singles Final, then teamed with Roberta Vinci to win the inaugural Qatar Total Open Doubles title.
Day-3. Updated Singles Draw
[/alert]Day-3. Updated Doubles Draw
[/alert][8] Petra Kvitova -11- (CZE) | Round-2 Announcer Introduction
She is a 2-time Wimbledon Champion, a 3-time Grand Slam Finalist, an Olympic Bronze Medalist – and remarkably, 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 four top-10 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. Back for her 6th Qatar Total Open – from the Czech Republic, please welcome 2018 Doha Champion Petra Kvitova.
- R2 — W | Carla Suarez Navarro -70- (ESP) | Score: 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
- 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.
Carla Suarez Navarro -70- (ESP) | Round-2 Announcer Introduction
Four years ago, she captured the biggest title of her career on this court – upsetting World #3 Agneiszka Radwanksa in the Semifinals, then Jelena Ostapenko to lift Doha’s famous Falcon. She was unstoppable that year, teaming with partner Sara Errani to reach 2016 Doubles Final, as well. And fans, before the new year began, she announced that 2020 would be her Final season on Tour – making this week, her last appearance in Doha – where with her smile and breath-taking backhand, has truly won the hearts of so many fans, and created lasting memories. Here in Doha for the 7th, and last time — From Spain, please welcome 2016 Qatar Total Open Champion, Carla Suarez Navarro.
- R2 — L | [8] Petra Kvitova -11- (CZE) | Score: 6-4, 3-6, 0-6
- R1 — W | Shuai Zhang -31- (CHN) | Score: 7-5, 6-0 | RECAP
Announcer Corner | Doha: Carla Suarez Navarro
Carla Suarez Navarro won her 2nd and last WTA Singles title on this court in 2016. The Premier-5 victory remains her most significant career Singles title. She leaves Doha for the final time with tremendous memories – including a Semifinal run in 2015 and a pair of championship matches the following season. A feared opponent on the court — off the court, Carla remains a WTA favorite with one of the kindest hearts on Tour.
She’s a Fed Cup Finalist, a 7-time Grand Slam Quarterfinalist and shortly after her Doha victory in 2016, climbed to a career-high ranking of World #6. She reached the Doubles Championship at the WTA Finals in 2015, owns 3 WTA Doubles titles, and reached the Olympic Doubles Quarterfinals in 2016. Her dynamic backhand remains one of the most picturesque shots in WTA history. And yes – she will be deeply missed.
