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By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, May 8, 2015

 
PETRA KVITOVA

Petra Kvitova overpowered Serena Williams, 6-2, 6-3, to snap the world No. 1's 27-match win streak and roar into the Madrid Open final.
 

Launching herself into the court, Petra Kvitova lasered an ace into the corner that kicked up a clump of clay and wrong-footed Serena Williams so severely the top seed waved a left-handed forehand in futility as the ball buzzed past.

Unleashing disarming power, Kvitova demolished the world No. 1 with stunning ease, 6-2, 6-3, to storm into the Madrid final and snap Williams' 27-match win streak.

More: Kuznetsova Conquers Sharapova to Reach Madrid Final

The top seed, who started the season on a 24-0 tear, looked lethargic at the outset in suffering her first defeat since Simona Halep issued a 6-0, 6-2 thrashing in the WTA Finals round-robin last October.

The 25-year-old Kvitova not only overpowered Williams, who had won 50-straight matches at Premier Mandatory events, she barely looked stressed pulling off an imposing sweep. It was Kvitova's first win over Williams in six meetings.

Rarely has an opponent treated Williams's second serve with such severe disdain as Kvitova did today.

The left-handed Czech cracked returns in both corners and sometimes belted the ball right back at Williams's feet, robbing her of reaction time, winning 25 of 35 points played on the top seed's second serve and breaking serve six times.

Exuding a relaxed intensity throughout the match, Kvitova played with a sense of calm and clarity on critical points.

"For sure I'm happy that I won today," Kvitova said on court afterward. "I never beat her so for me it's a special moment. I'm really happy to be here in the final."

The 2011 Madrid champion will play Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. The 29th-ranked Russian upset defending champion Maria Sharapova, 6-2, 6-4, in 90 minutes. Kuznetsova snapped a four-match losing streak to her former Fed Cup teammate, beating Sharapova for the first time since the 2008 Indian Wells.

"Sveta has had a great run here," Kvitova said. "She's playd unbelievable matches here. I lost last year to her at the French Open on the clay. So I know how tough she will be. I will do my best at that moment and we're gonna see [what happens] tomorrow."

The late-arriving Madrid crowd left most of the 12,400 seats empty when Williams and Kvitova took the court creating a sterile atmosphere.

The world No. 1's energy level was lagging, too, as she looked a half-step slow trying to catch up to Kvitova's flat blasts.

Williams fought off four break points in the third game. Kvitova crunched a backhand winner for a fifth break point. When Williams pulled off a forehand on her 28th service point, the Czech had the break and a 2-1 lead.

Plopping into her court-side seat, Williams requested her purse, as if she knew this would be a tough day at work. Cashing in on three Kvitova double faults, she broke back for 2-2.

Getting even did not help Williams establish equillibrium.

Stepping in to punish the world No. 1's second, serve Kvitova plastered a forehand return winner to break for 3-2. She slid an ace down the middle to back up the break for 4-2.

An all-court player who possesses both jolting power and unsettling finesse, Kvitova showed both qualities to superb effect. Blasting a backhand return to back her opponent up, Kvitvova carressed a backhand drop shot winner that froze her opponent and helped her earn a third straight break for 5-2.

Stinging her third ace for set point, Kvitova closed the set when Williams sailed a forehand beyond the baseline.

The two-time Wimbledon champion combined aggression with clean ball-strking. Kvitova hit four more winners (11 to 7) and committed half as many errors (14 to 7) as the top seed in storming through the 32-minute opening set.

It was a milestone moment for Kvitova, marking just the second time in 12 career sets the Czech took a set from Williams.

Fighting to stamp her authority in rallies, Williams, who spent the final stages of the first set trying to load up and hit winners prematurely, squandered a 40-5 lead and groaned when her running forehand missed the mark as Kvitova broke for a 1-0 second-set. She extended her run to six games before Williams finally held for 1-2.




Even when she made a rare miscue — on break point in the fifth game Kvitova crushed a return to set up a mid-court ball but bungled an open-court forehand down the line — Kvitova shook it off and came back swining. Playing patient rallies, she broke for 4-1 when Williams mis-fired on a forehand off her back foot.

The world No. 1 showed her fighting spirit, breaking back for 3-5 when Kvitova served for the match. That was merely a speed bump for Kvitova, who closed in 73 minutes when Williams flattened a backhand into net.

"Well done," the 19-time Grand Slam champion said to her conqueror in a respectful post-match handshake.


 

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