By Chris Oddo | Wednesday, June 18, 2014

 

Petra Kvitova moved into the quarterfinals at the Aegon International with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Varvara Lepchenko.

Photo Source: Jan Kruger

Petra Kvitova is getting her formidable grass-court game tuned up just in time for Wimbledon. The 2011 Wimbledon champion dominated American Varvara Lepchenko at the Aegon International, 6-1, 6-4, winning all but six points behind her first serve and saving each of the four break points she faced.

Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams Seeded First

Kvitova had not been past the second round of the grass-court event since reaching the final in 2011, the same year she won Wimbledon.

The second-seeded Czech will face Heather Watson in the quarterfinals, as the 22-year-old Brit delighted the fans with her first career top 20 victory over Italy’s Flavia Pennetta, 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-2. The No. 1 British player, who is recovering from a bout with glandular fever, has won two challenger titles this season, and has won 11 of her last 13 professional matches.

Elsewhere in Eastbourne, 19-year-old American Madison Keys reached her first career grass court quarterfinal with a 7-5, 7-6(9) victory over defending champion Elena Vesnina, while Caroline Wozniacki notched back-to-back wins for the first time since March by winning her fifth straight decision over Sloane Stephens, 6-3, 6-3.

In two of the more gripping matches on Wednesday, Angelique Kerber and Camila Giorgi each fought back from match point down to rally to victory. Kerber slid past Frenchwoman Alize Cornet in a third-set tiebreaker, 7-5, 1-6, 7-6(3), while Giorgi nudged past British qualifier Johanna Konta, 1-6, 7-5, 7-5.