By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, June 24, 2022
Defending champion Jelena Ostapenko swept Camila Giorgi setting up an Eastbourne final vs. Petra Kvitova, who snapped Beatriz Haddad-Maia's winning streak.
Photo credit: Getty
Grass-court tennis rewards risk.
Sharp shotmakers Petra Kvitova and Jelena Ostapenko rode bold strikes into an Eastbourne final showdown.
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In a semifinal clash of left-handed power players, Kvitova beat Beatriz Haddad-Maia 7-6(5) 6-4 snapping the Brazilian’s 12-match winning streak to charge into her first final of the year and first grass-court final in four years.
Kvitova avenged an opening-round loss to the 29th-ranked Haddad Maia in Birmingham last week improving her 2022 record to 14-13.
In a match of small margins, Haddad Maia tried returning tight to the baseline against Kvitova's lefty slider serve and the Czech took advantage flashing several first-strike forehands. Kvitova cracked six aces, won 17 of 23 second-serve points and saved the lone break point she faced in a one hour, 57-minute victory.
Two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova snapped one streak today and will try to end another in tomorrow’s final.
Defending champion Ostapenko rolled through five of the final six games dismissing Camila Giorgi 6-2, 6-2 to score her ninth straight Eastbourne win.
The 14th-ranked Ostapenko has not surrendered a set streaking into her second straight Eastbourne final.
The eighth-seeded Ostapenko played a near flawless first set firing winners nearly at will. Ostapenko broke four times in a 68-minute victory that raised her 2022 record to 20-10.
Kvitova and Ostapenko have split eight career meetings with Ostapenko winning their lone prior grass clash at the 2016 Birmingham in three sets. Ostapenko is playing for her sixth career title, while Kvitova is playing for a 29th career championship and first since grass championship since she won the 2018 Birmingham title.
Former Roland Garros champion Ostapenko is bidding to become the first woman to successfully defend Eastbourne since Justine Henin in 2007. If she succeeds, the laser-hitting Latvian will join Henin, Tracy Austin, Martina Navratilova and Chanda Rubin successfully defending Eastbourne.