Kvitova, Errani in Dubai final
Source: AFP |
February 24, 2013, Sunday
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FORMER Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, showing her best form for more than a year, beat her second champion in a row to reach the Dubai Championships final on Friday.
Kvitova, who ended the title defense of Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska on Thursday, beat the 2011 titleholder Caroline Wozniacki, breaking serve in the opening game and rarely looking back in a 6-3, 6-4 win.
In her first final in six months, she now meets fifth seed Sara Errani of Italy, the French Open finalist, who beat her best friend and doubles partner Roberta Vinci 6-3, 6-3.
The Czech's win over the Dane was full of characteristically fierce ground strokes, struck flat and hard to read, as well as a rising buoyancy which has not been evident over the past year.
Kvitova was delighted to have beaten three top 12 opponents in a row and, beaming at her success, said she was hopeful about her strengthened physical condition despite claiming that her "body was confused".
Asked for an explanation, she said: "I'm trying to be stronger in my legs and to have like stronger muscles, so I can be more quicker and stay quite low for the fast shots.
"That's something I didn't like doing in the past. But I'm still thinking about the bad position I had before, and I'm trying to have the good position - that's why I'm, like, quite confused."
If Errani and Vinci thought that by taking a break from doubles to play singles only, they would spend time apart it was not entirely successful.
Instead Errani and Vinci found themselves battling against each other for an hour and 23 minutes of old-style rallies in which slice and accurate placement played a bigger part than power and flailing topspin.
Errani prevailed because she imposed her busy approach on the rallies.
Kvitova, who ended the title defense of Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska on Thursday, beat the 2011 titleholder Caroline Wozniacki, breaking serve in the opening game and rarely looking back in a 6-3, 6-4 win.
In her first final in six months, she now meets fifth seed Sara Errani of Italy, the French Open finalist, who beat her best friend and doubles partner Roberta Vinci 6-3, 6-3.
The Czech's win over the Dane was full of characteristically fierce ground strokes, struck flat and hard to read, as well as a rising buoyancy which has not been evident over the past year.
Kvitova was delighted to have beaten three top 12 opponents in a row and, beaming at her success, said she was hopeful about her strengthened physical condition despite claiming that her "body was confused".
Asked for an explanation, she said: "I'm trying to be stronger in my legs and to have like stronger muscles, so I can be more quicker and stay quite low for the fast shots.
"That's something I didn't like doing in the past. But I'm still thinking about the bad position I had before, and I'm trying to have the good position - that's why I'm, like, quite confused."
If Errani and Vinci thought that by taking a break from doubles to play singles only, they would spend time apart it was not entirely successful.
Instead Errani and Vinci found themselves battling against each other for an hour and 23 minutes of old-style rallies in which slice and accurate placement played a bigger part than power and flailing topspin.
Errani prevailed because she imposed her busy approach on the rallies.
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