Czech star Kvitova reaches last 16 at Flushing Meadows where she will play Garbine Muguruza in mouth-watering clash
Friday 1 September 2017 22:23, UK
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova moved into the US Open's fourth round in only her 19th match of the year.
Kvitova, who missed the first half of the season after suffering a career-threatening injury to her left hand during an attack by a knife-wielding intruder at her home in the Czech Republic in December, defeated 18th-seeded Caroline Garcia 6-0 6-4 on Friday.
The 27-year-old Czech hit six aces, 22 winners and 14 unforced errors in one hour 13 minutes and never faced a break point throughout the contest.
After racing through the first set in 25 minutes with a bagel set, Garcia finally got on the scoreboard in the second, which was more competitive until Kvitova broke for a 4-3 edge, after which she never relinquished her lead.
Kvitova said: "Sometimes I do feel a little bit more normal than before, especially on the court and around players and people, around tennis, which I'm very grateful that I can be part of it again. Life is still a little bit strange, but it's getting better. Hopefully one day it will be better.
"I do feel much better and closer to my top level. I think that I really played great today. I'm still not there, for sure. I think still my hand is not 100 per cent ready, so I do feel hopefully that I have space to improve. But on the other hand, I will be very lucky if I am playing like this every day. I'm more pleased now that I know it's still there."
The two-time Wimbledon champion will play Spanish third seed Garbine Muguruza for a place in the quarter-finals after the reigning Wimbledon champion eased to a comprehensive 6-1 6-1 victory over Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova to reach the fourth round in New York for the first time in her career.
The world No 3, who dropped serve once, maintained her hopes of back-to-back Grand Slam titles and reaffirmed her credentials as a strong favourite for the title in an identical result of the pair's previous meeting in the Wimbledon semi-finals in July.
The 23-year-old claimed the opening set in 27 minutes as the 31st seed won only 13 points and she showed her all-court ability by winning 15 out of 21 points at the net during the contest.
Muguruza's victory means the race to be world number one at the end of tournament has narrowed to three, with Simona Halep and Venus Williams eliminated, leaving current incumbent Karolina Pliskova, Muguruza and Elina Svitolina in with a chance of finishing at the top of the standings.
Meanwhile, there was also a comfortable 6-2 6-4 victory for home favourite Sloane Stephens over Australian Ashleigh Barty.
Stephens, the world No 83, has enjoyed a fine summer hard court swing reaching the semi-finals in Toronto and Cincinnati following a lengthy injury layoff which had seen her ranking plummet near to world No 900.
The American claimed the opening set despite facing eight break points with the second set a tighter affair but it was Stephens who secured victory, thanks in part to three break of serves and a greater consistency from the back of the court to secure a fourth round meeting against 30th seed Julia Georges.
The German defeated Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic, who knocked out Britain's Johanna Konta in the first round, 6-3 6-3 and fired down six aces and 27 winners during the match.
Carla Suarez Navarro, the world No 35, booked her place in the last 16, with a hard fought 6-1 3-6 6-3 victory over Ekaterina Makarova, where she will meet two-time US Open champion Venus Williams.
Williams, who found out that her sister Serena had given birth to a baby girl earlier on Friday, eased to a confident 6-3 6-4 victory over Maria Sakkari.
The ninth seed moved into the second week for the seventh straight major, the longest active streak in women's tennis.
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