Serena falls short against Kvitova in Cincinnati
Wednesday - August 15, 2018 8:28 pm ,
Category : SPORTS
Serena falls short against Kvitova in Cincinnati
Cincinnati Aug 15 (IANS) American great Serena Williams showed further signs of rediscovering her championship level but came up short in a 6-3 2-6 6-3 second-round loss to Petra Kvitova at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati.
Kvitova came out firing on Tuesday night using outstanding ball-striking to grab an early service break at 3-2 and then wrapping up the set with a second break four games later reports Efe.
But the 23-time Grand Slam champion turned the match around when she won a back-and-forth third game of the second set to break the Czech player for the first time in the match and take a 2-1 lead.
Williams later got a second service break on a sharply angled backhand return of serve winner and then closed out the second set when Kvitova missed a backhand return in the net.
The third set had the intensity of a Grand Slam final with both players feeding off the energy of the crowd to produce their best tennis.
In the end Kvitova s superior form on the night was the difference as she got a break in the sixth game and then fought off a tough challenge from Williams in the final game to hold serve and clinch the victory in just under two hours.
Kvitova who has made a remarkable comeback since being injured by a burglar in a knife attack at her home in Prostejov Czech Republic in late 2016 reflected afterward on her win against an all-time great opponent who is trying to get back to top form less than a year after becoming a mother and enduring serious post-partum health complications.
"It was a pleasure to share the court with Serena. She s such a champion " Kvitova said in a post-match interview. "We are both coming back - from injury from motherhood - so it s something really special to play her."
"Unfortunately it s in the second round but playing a night session against Serena in front of a USA crowd it s been great."
Next up for the eighth-seeded Kvitova in the third round of this WTA Premier 5 event will be France s Kristina Mladenovic.
Williams Kvitova and tennis other top men s and women s stars are in Cincinnati as part of their preparations for the US Open which gets under way on August 27.
--IANS kk/bg
Kvitova came out firing on Tuesday night using outstanding ball-striking to grab an early service break at 3-2 and then wrapping up the set with a second break four games later reports Efe.
But the 23-time Grand Slam champion turned the match around when she won a back-and-forth third game of the second set to break the Czech player for the first time in the match and take a 2-1 lead.
Williams later got a second service break on a sharply angled backhand return of serve winner and then closed out the second set when Kvitova missed a backhand return in the net.
The third set had the intensity of a Grand Slam final with both players feeding off the energy of the crowd to produce their best tennis.
In the end Kvitova s superior form on the night was the difference as she got a break in the sixth game and then fought off a tough challenge from Williams in the final game to hold serve and clinch the victory in just under two hours.
Kvitova who has made a remarkable comeback since being injured by a burglar in a knife attack at her home in Prostejov Czech Republic in late 2016 reflected afterward on her win against an all-time great opponent who is trying to get back to top form less than a year after becoming a mother and enduring serious post-partum health complications.
"It was a pleasure to share the court with Serena. She s such a champion " Kvitova said in a post-match interview. "We are both coming back - from injury from motherhood - so it s something really special to play her."
"Unfortunately it s in the second round but playing a night session against Serena in front of a USA crowd it s been great."
Next up for the eighth-seeded Kvitova in the third round of this WTA Premier 5 event will be France s Kristina Mladenovic.
Williams Kvitova and tennis other top men s and women s stars are in Cincinnati as part of their preparations for the US Open which gets under way on August 27.
--IANS kk/bg
