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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 Quarterfinals
Petra Kvitova first met Jelena Ostapenko 4-years-ago, right here in Doha. At the time, Jelena was 18-years-old, ranked World #88. Down a set and a break in their 3rd-Round clash, Jelena won 8 consecutive games, allowing Kvitova only a single hold the rest of the way. Fearlessly confident, Ostapenko went on to reach the 2016 Qatar Total Open Final, where she fell to Carla Suarez Navarro.
The win over Kvitova was Jelena’s second top-10 victory, but her biggest to date (the previous July, she’d upset World #9 Suarez Navarro at Wimbledon). By the end of 2016, Ostapenko cracked the top-40. The following May, Jelena won her first Major at Roland Garros and finished 2017 inside the top-10. The Latvian openly admits, her career breakthrough came on this court during the 2016 Qatar Total Open – and it all started with that come-from-behind victory over Kvitova.
The two played four times in 2016. After another defeat in Birmingham, Petra figured out how to counter Ostapenko’s aggressive returns. With the exception of a Round-4 loss last March in Miami, Petra has dominated their battles ever since.
Today, in gusty conditions, Kvitova again maintained the upper hand most of the way. After a sloppy second set — this time it was Petra who allowed Jelena only a single hold in the deciding set.
Ostapenko still has a chance to win the Doubles title
While Ostapenko is out of the Singles draw, she and Gabriela Dabrowski are still alive in Doubles. The tandem remains undefeated on this court — Two years ago, they captured the 2018 Doha Doubles title with a straight-sets victory over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Andreja Klepac.
Head to Head: 7th meeting between these two players
Day-4. Updated Singles Draw
[/alert]Day-4. Updated Doubles Draw
[/alert][08] Petra Kvitova -11- (CZE) | Round of 16 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 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. Back for her 6th Qatar Total Open – yesterday, she defeated 2016 Champion Carla Suarez Navarro to return to the Round of 16. From the Czech Republic, please welcome 2018 Doha Champion Petra Kvitova.
- R3 — W | Jelena Ostapenko -42- (LAT) | Score: 6-2, 5-7, 6-1
- 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.
Jelena Ostapenko -42- (LAT) | Round of 16 Announcer Introduction
4-years-ago, in her first-ever Premier-5 event on Tour, she made her Doha debut as an 88th-ranked 18-year-old – and was unstoppable, earning 5 consecutive wins to reach the championship match. Since then, she’s assembled quite a resume. In 2017, she won the French Open – becoming the first Latvian ever to win a Grand Slam title. And a year later, cracked the WTA’s top-5 for the first time. Now an 8-time Tour-level Finalist, she owns 3 WTA Singles titles – and 2-years-ago, captured her 3rd WTA Doubles title on this court with partner Gabriela Dabrowski. Back in Doha, where the magic began – competing in her 4th Qatar Total Open – From Latvia, please welcome 2016 Finalist and 2018 Doubles Champion, Jelena Ostapenko.
- R3 — L | [08] Petra Kvitova -11- (CZE) | Score: 2-6 7-5 1-6
- R2 — W | Barbora Strycova -34- (CZE) | Score: 6-1, 6-2 | RECAP
- R1 — W | [Q] Jil Teichmann -68- (SUI) | Score: 7-5, 2-6, 7-5 | RECAP
Announcer Corner | Doha: Jelena Ostapenko
Some would say the wheels came off for Jelena Ostapenko when, as the returning Roland Garros Champion, she fell in Round-1 of the 2018 French Open. Though she went on to reach the Wimbledon Semifinals, that was her last deep-run at the Majors — in Singles. In 2019, she was a 2-time Doubles Quarterfinalist at the French and US Opens, and teamed with Robert Lindstet to reach the Mixed Doubles Championship at Wimbledon. While her Singles ranking dropped outside the top-80 last year, she’s managed to climb inside the top-20 in Doubles. That focus on net tactics could pay dividends in the new season. Earlier this month – she upset Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin during Latvia’s World Group Qualifier. Stay tuned.
