By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, October 7, 2020
A powerful Petra Kvitova swept Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-3 streaking into the Roland Garros semifinals without surrendering a set.
Photo credit: @RolandGarros
Petra Kvitova produced inspiration in Paris in her comeback three years ago.
These days, she’s delivering incandescence.
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In a powerful performance, Kvitova swept Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-3 streaking into the Roland Garros semifinals without surrendering a set.
It is Kvitova’s first French Open final four appearance since 2012 when she lost to eventual-champion Maria Sharapova.
Afterward, Kvitova conceded she felt the jitters walking onto Court Philippe Chatrier as the overwhelming favorite.
"I'm pretty proud of everything I did today. Since I wake up today I felt pretty nervous," Kvitova said. "Going to the match I knew it will be big fight about every point. She's very tricky opponent, she has lots of variety in her game, and I knew it will be very tough.
"Of course, playing quarterfinal of the Grand Slam, it's nothing easy with the nerves as well. So I'm pretty happy about my side, of mental side and about how I handle it, the pressure out there, as well."
Ten sets up and ten down.
Kvitova has been explosive and efficient spending just seven hours, 20 minutes on court advancing to her seventh major semifinal.
The two-time Wimbledon winner will face an American for a spot in the French Open final—either Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin or Danielle Collins. Kvitova is 2-0 lifetime vs. both Americans.
Three years ago, the Czech’s entire support team—including her parents Jiri and Pavla, brothers Jiri and Libor and friend and sometime Fed Cup teammate Lucie Hradecka—wore black t-shirts emblazoned with the words “Courage, Belief, Pojd”, a Czech word for “come on" cheering Kvitova on in her comeback win at Roland Garros after suffering stab wounds to her racquet hand in a horrific home invasion months earlier.
“With the heart, anything is possible,” said Kvitova, who is living that philosophy now.
"Today, I mean, I didn't get emotional, but it's gonna happen anyway," Kvitova said. "When I just look back anyway, those four years were very tough but very happy too. I mean, of course it's a mix of emotions what happened.
"It's tough for me right now to think back, so I prefer not to, if you are okay with that. And I just wanted to, you know, look forward right now and maybe when the tournament is finished I can look back if you want."
In today’s first quarterfinal, Kvitova overpowered US Open doubles champion Siegemund smacking 10 more winners—22 to 12—and converting five of 10 break points.
The left-hander was landing strikes early surging through eight of nine points to build a 3-1 lead and stamping a hold to extend to 4-1.
Kvitova cracked her sixth ace and lashed a forehand winner down the line to snatch a one-set lead after 35 minutes. The left-handed Czech nearly tripled Siegemund’s winner output—14 to 5—in the opening set.
"Obviously it's Petra Kvitova, so I knew that it was going to be very hard and she played well also to get here," Siegemund said. "And the more she starts to roll, you know, the more it rolls, I guess. She started really well right away, and had really good length, was serving great. So I struggled at the beginning.
"I felt like I'm also not playing too bad, but just so many easy points going away with serve and return situations."
Siegemund rapped a passing shot then put a low slice at Kvitova’s feet converting her fourth break point to even the second set after four games.
Trying to confirm the break, Siegemund was hit with a time violation warning while serving to save a break point.
“No because I have my arm up—so that’s bullshit,” Siegemund barked at chair umpire Marijana Veljovic. The call stood and Siegemund dumped a ball into net dropping serve as Kvitova broke back for 3-2.
Siegemund stepped into a return redirecting a clean backhand winner down the line scoring her second straight break to get back on serve.
Every time Kvitova was tested, she triumphed moving forward. Streaking in the seventh seed blocked a backhand volley winner. The fourth straight break of the set put Kvitova up 4-3.
Seventy-five minutes into the match, Kvitova crunched a crosscourt forehand closing a love hold with a clenched fist toward coach Jiri Vanek moving to within one game of the semifinals.
On her second match point, Kvitova closed without striking a shot as Siegemund double faulted to end it.