By Erik Gudris | Friday, August 3, 2018
Andrea Petkovic saved three match points en route to reaching the Citi Open semifinals.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Andrea Petkovic saved three match points before winning a dramatic final set tiebreak to put herself back into the Citi Open semifinals for a second straight year.
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The charismatic and always thoughtful Petkovic outlasted No. 6 seed Belinda Bencic 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(8) in a tense quarterfinal battle Friday afternoon that saw multiple momentum swings and one rain delay.
Now, the former top 10 player who beat Sloane Stephens in an earlier round, finds herself in a good position to perhaps reach the final once again, having been a runner-up in 2013.
”I thought I was really solid throughout the whole match," Petkovic said. "She played really well in the second set, and then in the third set, it was just a momentum swing, up-and-down and emotions. I just tried to stay in the moment and within myself, and do the things I needed to do."
The D.C. event is a favorite of Petkovic’s who arrived on site early to prepare for the heat and humidity. Though she is currently ranked No. 91, Petkovic still feels she is capable of producing top 10 tennis on any day. She’s also brought back this week her trademark “Petko Dance” that fans enjoy.
Petkovic was the better player in the first set as Bencic allowed her frustration over errors boil over into several racquet smacks. Up 5-3, Petkovic was forced to endure a 30 minute rain delay before coming back and serving out the set.
Bencic played better in the second set and soon forced a decider. Petkovic would go up 4-2 in the third set, but Bencic battled back and soon leveled at 4-all.
The final set tiebreak again saw momentum swings as Petkovic took an early lead, but lost it.
Bencic served a double fault on her first match point that led to 6-all. Petkovic would save two more match points with solid backhand winners.
Finally, with Petkovic holding a match point of her own, she forced a final error from Bencic to seal the dramatic three set win.
Petkovic, who lost in the semifinals last year to Julia Goerges, now finds herself the lone woman in the final four as the other three quarterfinals have yet to be completed due to ongoing rain delays at the event.