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Swiatek, Kvitova survive tough Putintseva, Potapova tests to make Ostrava quarters

The highest two seeds on the J&T Banka Ostrava Open each handed rigorous second-round assessments to kick off their Czech campaigns.

No.1 Iga Swiatek dealt with the difficult problem of Yulia Putintseva with poise, advancing to her fourth quarterfinal of the 12 months 6-4, 6-4 in a single hour and 47 minutes. She was adopted on Heart Court docket by No.2 Petra Kvitova, who was stretched all the best way by qualifier Anastasia Potapova earlier than profitable 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-3 in two hours and 5 minutes.

Enjoying the second indoor WTA predominant draw of her profession following Budapest 2019, the place she reached the second spherical, Swiatek was given a tricky exercise by Putintseva, whom she was dealing with for the primary time. The Kazakh was coming off a powerful semifinal run in Portoroz final week, and her canny techniques and supreme defence offered a worthy foil to Swiatek’s energy.

Each gamers probing one another’s video games for weaknesses made for various absorbing, variety-filled exchanges during which each nook of the court docket was used. However though Putintseva’s capacity to combine spin, tempo and route examined Swiatek to the restrict, the Pole remained constructive and progressively obtained to grips with what she wanted to do. By the second set, it was Swiatek who was more and more rising on high of even the longer rallies.

Match administration: Putintseva had battled for 3 hours and 24 minutes to quell Zhang Shuai within the first spherical simply 24 hours earlier, and was uncharacteristically errant as she swiftly fell behind 0-3. However as soon as the 26-year-old discovered her groove and levelled at 3-3, nearly each recreation was tightly contested.

It got here all the way down to Swiatek’s capacity to rise to the event on the tail finish of every set, each of which she sealed with a break of her opponent’s serve. She peaked with some dazzling all-court aggression to rattle off the final eight factors of the primary set, scoring winners at web and, on set level, off the return.

Within the second, Swiatek confirmed her grit. Main 3-2, she missed triple break level to interrupt Putintseva; at 4-4, she needed to fend off two in opposition to her, developing along with her fourth ace and a brace of sensible backhand winners to take action. The ultimate recreation noticed Putintseva open the door with a pair of unfastened errors, and Swiatek wanted no additional encouragement. Two extra backhand bangers in a row noticed her edge over the road.

Quotable: “It was very robust,” mentioned Swiatek in her on-court interview. “She was operating to each ball – it was actually exhausting to complete her, particularly with such a gradual floor. She might attain all the things and he or she was combating to the top – even on match level I needed to end her, like, thrice.

“I am actually glad I received, as a result of usually it is actually exhausting for me to play with such gamers. I wish to threat and with risking comes unforced errors, so it is robust to get the stability between when to push and when to remain and await the opponent to overlook.”

Kvitova quells Potapova after procession turns into battle

After 50 minutes of play in entrance of her dwelling crowd, Kvitova was having fun with a clean procession into the final eight. She led Potapova 6-1, 4-2 and had dictated each facet of the sport to that juncture.

However the Czech crowd favorite would finally be stretched to the restrict, needing to return from a break down within the deciding set to succeed in her sixth quarterfinal of 2021. Potapova had already showcased some excellent hustle within the first spherical in opposition to Caroline Garcia, a match during which the 20-year-old conjured one of many pictures of the 12 months, and once more demonstrated some otherworldly defence in turning her match in opposition to Kvitova round.

Stat nook: Potapova’s numbers within the first set had been unlucky. The Russian tallied 14 unforced errors, together with three double faults – all at inopportune moments – to solely three winners. However over units two and three, she would discover 18 winners to fifteen unforced errors.

Against this, Kvitova stored a decent ship within the first set, with 10 winners to 9 unforced errors. However as Potapova started extending factors and testing her consistency, the subsequent two noticed 31 unforced errors come off the Kvitova racquet, along with her forehand notably letting her down within the closing levels of the second set.

Shot of the match: Potapova made her transfer as Kvitova served a 4-3 within the second set. She had been unable to take 4 earlier break alternatives, however a return winner and stellar move introduced up triple break level on this recreation – and the World No.92 was decided to lastly convert.

A booming forehand put Kvitova on the entrance foot, and the 31-year-old had Potapova at her mercy as she took on two quick balls and two drive volleys. However Potapova scampered, hustled, flicked up determined lobs, and eventually managed to show the purpose round with a wrong-footing backhand earlier than ending with a forehand flourish.

Match administration: Having levelled at 4-4 with that shot, Potapova carried that power via the following tiebreak and right into a 2-1 lead with the break within the third set. A second profession High 10 win was in sight.

However Kvitova blitzed a trio of breathtaking returns to interrupt again instantly – and, serving at 3-4, the error-strewn Potapova of the primary set returned on the most inopportune juncture. A slew of groundstroke errors put Kvitova able to serve for the win, and the World No.10 did so at her first alternative. 

Ostapenko, Riske spherical out final 16

Earlier, final week’s two finalists maintained their sturdy kind in Ostrava. Jelena Ostapenko, runner-up in Luxembourg to Clara Tauson, bounced again to dominate fortunate loser Anna Blinkova 6-4, 6-0 in simply 66 minutes. The Latvian confirmed supreme proficiency in utilizing the dropshot to take advantage of her opponent’s motion, in addition to her signature energy.

Alison Riske had received simply 4 matches all through 2021 earlier than final week, however doubled that tally to succeed in the Portoroz closing earlier than falling to Jasmine Paolini. The American got here from 1-3 down within the third set earlier than triumphing 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 over qualifier Fiona Ferro in two hours and quarter-hour.

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