Quick Revenge Sweet For Kerber Over Kvitova
Faizan Hashmi Published April 26, 2018 | 01:21 AM
Stuttgart, Germany, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Apr, 2018 ) :Angelique Kerber earned quick revenge against Petra Kvitova with a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of the Czech in the Stuttgart Grand Prix first round on Wednesday.
The pair had faced off last Sunday at the same Porsche arena venue in a Fed Cup semi-final tie won by the visitors, with Kvitova defeating Kerber. The German, a former world number one who is now ranked 12th, was all business against the two-time Wimbledon champion, preventing Kvitova from three straight victories in their head-to-head series.
Kerber closed it out on her third match point after 77 minutes when Kvitova returned long. "I had goosebumps when I came out on court," said the German. "It was not an easy match after Sunday. "My team and I analysed it and we learned from that loss.
I'm unbelievably happy to be in the second round. "I knew what to expect from Petra, I tried to play aggressive and control the match. I always need time to get my rhythm." Kerber set up a match against Anett Kontaveit, the world number 31 who outlasted Kristina Mladenovic 5-7, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5).
The Estonian needed more than three hours to put out 2017 finalist Mladenovic, with the French player saving match points in the final-set tiebreaker.
Between them, the women converted on 19 of 39 break points on offer, with Mladenovic sunk by 10 double-faults.
CoCo Vandeweghe put aside her career-long dislike of clay to crush US Open champion Sloane Stephens 6-1, 6-0 with a 56-minute rout. There was a similar fate for last year's New York runner-up, with Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova eliminating American Madison Keys 7-6 (9/7), 5-7, 6-4.
Vandeweghe and Stephens, who won the Miami title last month after a lacklustre six months following her Grand Slam triumph, had teamed up at the weekend to help the United States defeat France and reach the Fed Cup final.
"I really don't like clay, it's my least favourite surface," Vandeweghe said after defeating the seventh seed. "I'll never like it. This is my second time in Germany -- I'm not here for the clay, it's more the shopping.
"I didn't come out here to play and lose." Vandeweghe broke six times in her victory and next faces defending champion Laura Siegemund of Germany in the second round. Vandeweghe increased her career record over Stephens to 4-1.
In other first-round results, Russian qualifier Veronika Kudermetova surprised Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 and Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas downed Germany's Carina Witthoeft 6-3, 6-2.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
HEC reviews curricula for environmental sciences degree programme
ICC Asia looking forward to an action-packed Asia Cricket Week
Yuvraj Singh named ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ambassador
Greece hands Olympic flame to 2024 Paris Games hosts
Two Kyiv hospitals evacuating over feared Russian strikes
World must act on neurotech revolution, say experts
Charles & Catherine's cancer diagnoses
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
King Charles to resume some public duties during cancer treatment: palace
US defense chief announces $6 bn in security aid for Ukraine
Heavy rains cause damage to Spezand-Taftan railway track
Woman stabbed in Israel, attacker killed: police
More Stories From World
-
NFL will allow players to wear Guardian Cap helmets in games
6 hours ago -
Football: German Bundesliga table
6 hours ago -
Football: Italian Serie A result
6 hours ago -
Football: German Bundesliga results
6 hours ago -
US troops to leave Chad in second African state withdrawal
6 hours ago -
Plastics pollution may be solved without production cap: Canada minister
6 hours ago
-
Biden stalls on menthol cigarette ban fearing Black vote backlash
6 hours ago -
Champions Alcaraz and Sabalenka through in Madrid Open
6 hours ago -
6,000 French police to welcome Olympic torch amid bonus boost
6 hours ago -
Taiwan hit by several quakes, strongest reaching 6.1-magnitude
7 hours ago -
'Ballistic' Bairstow stars as Punjab pull off record T20 chase
7 hours ago -
Tennis: ATP/WTA Madrid Open results - 2nd update
7 hours ago