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Pliskova beats Kvitova, advances to WTA Finals semis

Published:Thursday | October 25, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Vincent Thian
Karolina Pliskova celebrates after competing against Petra Kvitova during their women's singles match at the WTA tennis finals in Singapore, yesterday. Pliskova won 6-3, 6-4.

SINGAPORE (AP):

Karolina Pliskova won the first set to eliminate Petra Kvitova and then won the second set to advance to the semi-finals at the WTA Finals.

Pliskova, who advanced from her group for the second straight year, beat Kvitova 6-3, 6-4 yesterday to improve her record to 2-1 at the season-ending tournament.

It was Pliskova's first victory over Kvitova in their fourth meeting.

"I knew I lost my other matches to her. I knew this time I had a chance because I was playing pretty well in my other two matches here," Pliskova said on court after the match. "Everything is working well for me this week, so I'm just happy."

In the other group match, Elina Svitolina stayed unbeaten and advanced to the semi-finals by beating defending champion Caroline Wozniacki 5-7, 7-5, 6-3.

 

POSITIVE THOUGHTS

 

Kvitova jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second set, but Pliskova then won six of the next seven games. Kvitova finished the group with three straight losses.

"I still had a lot of positive thoughts in the match to fight and turn it around, even [if it] didn't happen," Kvitova said. "I still need to be fine because I still have the Fed Cup final (against the United States) coming up."

Kvitova, who is from the Czech Republic, rarely loses to players from her country. Since the 2012 Madrid tournament, the two-time Wimbledon champion has won 27 of 29 matches against Czech opponents.

Her only other loss to a Czech player in that time period was to Pliskova's twin sister, Kristyna, at this year's tournament in Charleston, South Carolina.

Svitolina only needed to win one set in the late match to advance, but she had to wait for it.

Wozniacki nearly pulled off the straight-set victory, which would have given her a place in the semi-finals instead. But she squandered two game points in the final game of the second set and then sent a backhand long on a fifth-set point for Svitolina.

"It was an amazing match and a tough fight because Caroline always brings the best out of you," Svitolina said on court. "You have to push your limits against her."