Petra Kvitova overcame a tough first set to complete an easy win in the end against Danielle Collins and move into the 2019 Australian Open.
In doing so, Kvitova moved into her first Grand Slam final in five years, the first time ever since she endured a knife attack at her home. This will also be her first ever non-Wimbledon final where she takes on one of Karolina Pliskova or Naomi Osaka.
It was Collins who drew first blood in the first set as she broke to go 3-2 up but Kvitova retaliated immediately to level the score. Things went to serve for another couple of games before the tournament organisers decided to close the roof as a measure to counter the heat.
Collins was involved in an argument with the chair umpire about this decision, ostensibly because her best chance to take on Kvitova was in the heat. The roof remained shut and Kvitova, although taken to a tie-breaker, slowly came into her own and clinched it easily.
Things became way easier in the second set as the Czech broke Collins’s serve on three separate occasions to shut out the match 6-0.
What looked to have gone against Collins was she looked like she had lost her cool after the roof-shutdown, even arguing a let call in the first game of the second set off her own serve.
Kvitova later admitted it helped her to shut the roof because she prefers playing indoors.
Speaking to Jim Courier at the end of the match, Kvitova said:
“The first set was very tight for myself, I’m really glad it came (together) in the tie-break. I’m glad the roof closed, I prefer to play indoor.”
Kvitova will now take on the winner of the Naomi Osaka-Karolina Pliskova match.
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