Shenzhen: Star Australian tennis player Ashleigh Barty thrashed 6th seed Petra Kvitova in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the semi-final of WTA Finals.
This is the third time that Barty has defeated Kvitova. It is also the Australian's first-ever straight-sets win against Kvitova.
The stakes were much higher for the Czech going into the meeting. She needed a straight-sets win to have a certain chance of advancement, while Barty had the breathing room to drop a set and could even have advanced in a three-set loss depending on the result of the game-percentage tiebreaker after the Bertens-Bencic red group meeting.
Each player held their opponent to 15 on their opening service games, but Kvitova was made to really sweat on her second, saving a double break point but managing to just hold on with an ace along the way.
Kvitova turned up the heat a bit on Barty's service at 2-all, but Barty managed to outwit her backhand with an all-court push. Barty went up a break off a passing shot that forced a netted return from Kvitova.
Although still trailing, Kvitova kept up the pressure on Barty, but could never manage to overcome her rough start. Barty saved a triple break point to hold and go 4-2. Kvitova would almost have the chance to break back after Barty double-faulted at deuce serving at 5-2, but the Australian kept it tight and managed to stave off her fourth break point of the opener.
