By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 20, 2022
Petra Kvitova conquered Madison Keys 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-3 to reach her first Cincinnati final—and return to the Top 20 in the live rankings.
Photo credit: Robert Prange/Getty
Trading ballistic blows in late stages of a baseline battle, Petra Kvitova scored a major knockdown.
The velocity and depth of Kvitova's drive knocked Madison Keys to her knees.
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Unleashing damaging strikes, Kvitova conquered Keys 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-3 to reach her first Cincinnati final—and return to the Top 20 in the live rankings.
"I know that we always having battles, like three sets. I was still like try to mentally still be there and waited maybe for some chance," Kvitova said. "I think I find a little bit better on the return as well. So I just stayed there and tried to play until the end of every point what I could.
"That's probably how it seems afterwards, it was an incredible battle. I have to say Madison played really great match. Yeah, it was really, really tight one."
The 32-year-old Kvitova will play for her 30th career title, including a 20th hard-court crown, in tomorrow's Western & Southern Open final against qualifier Caroline Garcia.
WTA ace leader Garcia fired eight aces against one double fault in a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 win over sixth-seeded Aryna Sabalenka.
Kvitova erased six of eight break points, including a rousing rally from triple break point down to pull off a phenomenal hold for 5-3 in the decider of a match she called one of her best performances of the 2022 season. It is the 40th final of Kvitova's distinguished career.
Ultimately, Kvitova's clutch serving down the stretch and her commitment to "hit it as hard as I can" facing break points helped her pull through.
"When I break her in the third every service game was a battle," Kvitova told Tennis Cannel's Prakash Amritraj afterward. "She was really going for it. She returned very well —it was one or two points in that game. I hit it as hard as I could almost. I was like...I don't even want to remember anything from it.
"In the end, it was really a relief. It was mental it was very, very tough. The whole match it as a great battle. Madison played amazing tennis. I knew it would be tough but I didn't expect it this tough. Definitely it was one of the best matches I played this season for sure."
Contesting Cincinnati for the 11th time, Kvitova was almost one and done this week. Kvitvao saved a match point in her opening-round win over Jil Teichmann and has not looked back beating Sorana Cirstea, Ons Jabeur and Ajla Tomljanovic before today's triumph. Facing sudden death in the first round has given Kvitova new life in the Queen City.
Nine minutes into the match, Kvitova clanked successive double faults gifting a love break to Keys. The 27-year-old American torched a forehand winner down the line that helped her back up the break for 3-1.
A skittish Kvitova hit her fourth double fault to face another break point in the fifth game. The Czech left-hander lashed a forehand right off the baseline that helped her deny it and saved a second break point with a clean forehand winner. Saving those break points in a hard-fought hold empowered Kvitova.
The 32-year-old Kvitova came right back drawing a couple of netted errors to break back at 15 and level after six games.
Keys slid her first ace out wide to force the tiebreaker.
In the breaker, Keys banged a backhand return down the line off a solid serve for the first mini break and a 3-2 lead. Keys pounded a 115 mph ace down the T for 5-2. Kvitova came back with a three point run to level.
The former world No. 2 hit a deep return to set up a short forehand, but netted it as Keys earned set point at 6-5. An ambitious Keys netted a backhand down the line only to hammer her two-hander down the opposite sideline for another set point at 7-6. This time, Keys hit a flat, wide serve eliciting netted return to snatch the first set in 55 minutes.
When Kvitova sets her feet, gets her body behind the ball and lets it rip, she can detonate nearly any point. Kvitova clubbed back-to-back crackling returns breaking with a shout for a 2-1 second-set lead.
Early separation gave Kvitova confidence. The Czech was reading Keys' serve better and scalding some flat returns. Kvitova broke again extending her lead to 5-2.
The 2017 US Open finalist Keys fought off a pair of set points in the ninth game holding for 4-5.
In her second shot to serve out the set, Kvitova clocked a clean forehand winner down the line closing the 43-minute second set. It was the first set Keys dropped in the tournament after scoring straight-sets wins over Yulia Putintseva, Jelena Ostapanko, world No. 1 Iga Swiatek and Wimbledon winner Elena Rybakina.
Kvitova handed one of her Wilson racquets to the ball kid for restringing before rising to play the decisive set with ambition.
In a strike that recalled the young Monica Seles, Kvitova leaned into a flat short-angled backhand winner for break point and broke to open the decider. Though Kvitova is known for her fast, flat strikes, she was playing with more margin on her shots. Several Keys' backhands flat-lined into net as Kvitova stretched her lead to 3-1.
Down 15-30 in the sixth game, Kvitova curled a running forehand pass down the line, pumped her fourth ace and drew a running error earning a crucial hold for 4-2.
Missing a running backhand, Keys flipped her Wilson racquet in disgust. Then reset, ripped a forehand down the line and held firm for 3-4.
Staring down triple break point in the next game, Kvitova sent a barrage of serves to the Keys backhand drawing errors off the two-hander to deny all three break points. Kvitova lasered a drive down erupting in a celebratory scream for 5-3.
A defiant Keys saved a couple of match points, including whipping a forehand winner behind Kvitova, to raw even at deuce. The depth of a Kvitova drive knocked Keys to her knees as the Czech earned a third match point. When Keys sprayed a backhand, Kvitova was through to her first Cincinnati final.
"I'm very happy, obviously," Kvitova said. "I didn't play such a great game at some point maybe a year and something for sure. I faced a lot of injuries, mental challenges as well, exhausting for everything.
"Yeah I'm showing good tennis. My serve is back on so that's very important."