Kvitova, Rybarikova win one-sided semis

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/23/608893header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/23/608893header.jpg" /></a>Petra Kvitova and Magdalena Rybarikova will meet in the Connecticut Open final, after winning one-sided semi-finals on Friday.<br /> <br /> Czech second seed Kvitova enjoyed a surprisingly comfortable win over Australian wildcard Sam Stosur, the world number four cruising to a 6-3 6-1 win in one hour 13 minutes in New Haven.<br /> <br /> The left-handed Kvitova put on a serving clinic, clocking 11 aces in just eight service games as she won her way through to her 17th WTA Tour final.<br /> <br /> The two-time Wimbledon champion broke in the fourth game of the first set and, despite blowing four set points on Stosur's serve in the eighth game, Kvitova held to love to seal the opener.<br /> <br /> And Stosur, ranked 25th, fell apart thereafter as she was broken in the first and third games of the second set as Kvitova coasted to a 4-0 lead.<br /> <br /> A third break of Stosur's serve sealed Kvitova's place in the final of the WTA Premier event, where she will meet Slovakia's Rybarikova.<br /> <br /> Rybarikova, the world number 68, eased past Italy's Camila Giorgi 6-2 6-4 in one hour 23 minutes.<br /> <br /> A first service percentage of 68 and seven aces helped Rybarikova into the final, as she broke Giorgi's serve three times, while fending off all 11 break points on her own serve.<br /> <br /> Rybarikova is into her sixth career WTA Tour final, having won four of her previous five deciders.<br /> <br /> The pair have not met on the WTA circuit proper but have had five meetings at lower-tier events - with Kvitova leading the head-to-head 4-1.<br /> <br /> Their last meeting, on clay in 2011, was Rybarikova's only victory over Kvitova, with the Czech winning all three of their clashes on hard courts

Magdalena Rybarikova Petra Kvitova tennis Kvitova, Rybarikova win one-sided semis

Petra Kvitova and Magdalena Rybarikova will meet in the Connecticut Open final, after winning one-sided semi-finals on Friday. Czech secon...

Read more »

Kvitova, Stosur tee up New Haven semi

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/22/607861header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/22/607861header.jpg" /></a></div> Major champions Petra Kvitova and Sam Stosur will clash in the Connecticut Open semi-finals, after respective wins on Thursday.<br /> <br /> Kvitova, the second seed in New Haven, downed fellow Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in their quarter-final 6-4 6-1.<br /> <br /> Zahlavova Strycova started the better in the WTA Premier hard-court clash, breaking serve in the third game and preserving that lead with comfortable holds.<br /> <br /> Kvitova, though, broke back in the eighth game, and with Zahlavova Strycova serving to stay in the set, the two-time Wimbledon winner struck again to take the first set.<br /> <br /> From there, it was smooth sailing for Kvitova, who broke in the fourth and sixth games to coast to victory in one hour eight minutes.<br /> <br /> Stosur won an all-wildcard battle over Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens, the Australian triumphant 6-3 4-6 6-3.<br /> <br /> Ranked 25th, Stosur is finding form at the right time of year ahead of next week's US Open, and the 2011 champion at Flushing Meadows hit 32 winners in her win over a brave Flipkens.<br /> <br /> On the other side of the draw, unseeded pair Camila Giorgi and Magdalena Rybarikova progressed.<br /> <br /> Slovakia's Rybarikova, who ousted top seed Simona Halep earlier in the tournament, continued her run with a 7-5 0-6 6-4 victory over American Alison Riske.<br /> <br /> Rybarikova won just 10 points in the second set, but overcame the glitch to reach the last four of a WTA Tour event for the second time this season.<br /> <br /> Playing off for a spot in the final will be Italy's Giorgi, who outmuscled Spain's Garbine Muguruza 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 6-2.<br /> <br /> Giorgi served 19 double faults - including 10 in the second set - but still managed to progress in two hours 14 minutes

Major champions Petra Kvitova Sam Stosur tennis Kvitova, Stosur tee up New Haven semi

Major champions Petra Kvitova and Sam Stosur will clash in the Connecticut Open semi-finals, after respective wins on Thursday. Kvitova,...

Read more »

Kvitova, Bouchard bow out in Cincinnati

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/14/599109header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/14/599109header.jpg" /></a>Wimbledon finalists Petra Kvitova and Eugenie Bouchard continued their poor form since SW19, losing at the Western and Southern Open.<br /> <br /> Kvitova beat Bouchard for her second All England Club title in July but between them they have won one match of five since as they stumble into the US Open later in August.<br /> <br /> World number four Kvitova, of the Czech Republic, was beaten by Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 6-2 7-6 (7-2) in their second-round affair in Cincinnati.<br /> <br /> The third seed lost serve five times throughout, including the opening game of the match, as Svitolina took control early.<br /> <br /> Kvitova jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second set but then trailed 5-4 as Svitolina served for the match.<br /> <br /> The pair would exchange three consecutive breaks, with Svitolina twice failing to serve it out, before the world number 39 won all four points on her serve in the tie-break to cause the upset.<br /> <br /> Canada's Bouchard, the seventh seed at the WTA Premier hard-court tournament, was bundled out by in-form Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova.<br /> <br /> Kuznetsova, a two-time major winner, won through 6-4 3-6 6-2, with Bouchard's losing streak extending to three matches.<br /> <br /> World number one Serena Williams was one of eight seeds to progress to the last 16 on Wednesday, with the American beating Sam Stosur for the second time in as many tournaments.<br /> <br /> Williams, the top seed in Ohio, thrashed Stosur in Montreal but could not break the Australian's serve this time around as she posted a 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (9-7) triumph.<br /> <br /> Polish fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska eased past Japan's Kurumi Nara 6-2 6-2, while German sixth seed Angelique Kerber had a surprisingly straightforward win over fellow lefty Ekaterina Makarova of Russia 6-4 6-1.<br /> <br /> Serbian seeds Jelena Jankovic (eighth) and Ana Ivanovic (ninth) both advanced in straight sets, Jankovic downing German qualifier Annika Beck 6-1 7-6 (7-0), while Ivanovic thrashed American wildcard Christina McHale 6-4 6-0.<br /> <br /> Italian 13th seed Flavia Pennetta dismissed American youngster and qualifier Taylor Townsend 6-4 6-3, while Spanish baseliner and 15th seed Carla Suarez Navarro beat French qualifier Pauline Parmentier 6-3 7-5.<br /> <br /> Wimbledon semi-finalist Lucie Safarova continued her impressive form, the 16th seed comfortably surpassing Kazakh qualifier Zarina Diyas 6-4 6-2.<br /> <br /> Germany's Sabine Lisicki ousted 14th seed Sara Errani of Italy 6-4 2-6 7-6 (7-2) in a near three-hour battle.<br /> <br /> Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova accounted for Italian qualifier Karin Knapp 6-1 6-3, not before the Russian saved 11 of 13 break points faced.<br /> <br /> American Sloane Stephens broke opponent Barbora Zahlavova Strycova's serve five times in succession from late in the first set, to run out a 7-5 6-1 winner over the Czech.

All England Club Eugenie Bouchard Petra Kvitova US Open Western Kvitova, Bouchard bow out in Cincinnati

Wimbledon finalists Petra Kvitova and Eugenie Bouchard continued their poor form since SW19, losing at the Western and Southern Open. Kvit...

Read more »

Sharapova, Kvitova exit as Williams rolls on

<a href="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/8/592647header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cache.images.core.optasports.com/news/tennis/2014/8/8/592647header.jpg" /></a>Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova were among the surprise losers at the Rogers Cup as Serena Williams advanced on Thursday.<br /> <br /> Sharapova, the Russian fourth seed, slumped to a 6-2 4-6 6-2 loss to Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro on the hard courts in Montreal.<br /> <br /> The 14th-seeded Suarez Navarro broke Sharapova's serve nine times – three of those came in the deciding set – in the third-round win.<br /> <br /> Suarez Navarro faces another powerful opponent in the quarter-finals in American Venus Williams, who also claimed a scalp by beating German sixth seed Angelique Kerber 6-3 3-6 6-4.<br /> <br /> Czech second seed Kvitova exited the WTA Premier event after a 6-4 1-6 6-2 defeat to Russian left-hander Ekaterina Makarova.<br /> <br /> On a day of upsets, Makarova's quarter-final opponent Coco Vandeweghe stunned Jelena Jankovic.<br /> <br /> American qualifier Vandeweghe fought to a 7-6 (10-8) 2-6 7-5 win over the Serbian seventh seed.<br /> <br /> As seeds around her were beaten, Serena Williams avoided problems against Czech Lucie Safarova.<br /> <br /> The world number one clinched a 7-5 6-4 victory over the 15th-seeded Safarova.<br /> <br /> Williams will face in-form Danish 11th seed Caroline Wozniacki, who needed just 56 minutes to crush American qualifier Shelby Rogers 6-1 6-0.<br /> <br /> Rogers could win just four points in the second set hammering.<br /> <br /> Belarusian eighth seed Victoria Azarenka was a 6-2 6-4 winner over British qualifier Heather Watson and Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska overcame German Sabine Lisicki 6-1 3-6 6-3

Maria Sharapova news Petra Kvitova Rogers Cup Sharapova, Kvitova exit as Williams rolls on

Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova were among the surprise losers at the Rogers Cup as Serena Williams advanced on Thursday. Sharapova, the...

Read more »