Photo by Jared Wickerham/Connecticut Open
Petra Kvitova captured her third Connecticut Open title on Saturday afternoon, defeating fellow-Czech Lucie Safarova in the finals. See below for Petra’s Path to the Title.
Following a first-round bye, Kvitova opened play with a strong test against rising star and American Madison Keys. The young American was off to a blazing start, downing the Czech 4-6 in the first frame. However, Kvitova would regain her composure and control of match, besting the Rising Star 6-1, 6-2 in the final frames to win the match.
Kvitova’s road was not much easier in the quarterfinals, as the Czech found herself in a tense battle with Agnieszka Radwanska. Kvitova was able to keep Radwanska at bay, however, moving past the Pole 7-5, 6-4.
In a popcorn match, Kvitova faced four-time champion Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinal. The Czech outlasted the Dane is a marathon first set, winning the frame 7-5. Kvitova broke open in the second set to the tune of 6-1, advancing to her fourth Connecticut Open final in four years.
In the finale, the defending champion found herself down early, losing a tightly-contested first frame to Safarova. However, the defending champion would recover in a hurry, using a powerful service game and timely shotmaking to regain her composure. In the end, Kvitova was too much for her fellow countrywoman, capturing the last two sets by identical 6-2 margins to claim her third Connecticut Open title in four years.
