Kvitova Comes Back On Wozniacki, Will Meet Muguruza In Doha Final

Petra Kvitova stopped the hopes of Caroline Wozniacki edging the Dane 3-6, 7-6(3), 7-5 to reach the final in Doha where she will face Garbina Muguruza.

Kvitova opened slowly against the Australian Open champion, dropping the first set then going down 2-0 in the second. But the Czech got into gear, and after failing to serve it out at 5-4 in the third, she broke then completed that task to win her 12th straight match.

“I knew that I need to play aggressive and go for the winners,” Kvitova said. “I know that she is catching everything, which she did. And I just probably wasn’t as patient with the balls and with all the winners.

“So in the second set I was just trying to calm a little bit and not putting that much pressure on myself and on all the winners and just try to move her a little bit, but not like crazy.”

Wozniacki actually served for the match twice in the second.

“Definitely disappointing when I had a chance to serve it out twice in that second set,” said Wozniacki. “I didn’t get many first serves in in the first game, and in the second game she played aggressively and I made a few unforced errors.

“I felt that was frustrating because I had my opportunities there.”

Kvitova now meets fellow Wimbledon champion Muguruza in the final. The Spaniard also had to go the distance coming from a set down to deny Caroline Garcia 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

“I’m happy overall with the match because even though in the first set she played very well, this kind of game and match changes a lot,” Muguruza said.

“I knew that if I kept concentrated and fighting, it could turn around. I also started to play a little bit better, and that helped.”

Kvitova has won three of four against Muguruza, most recently in the US Open fourth round last September.