Petra Cetkovska of Czech Republic returns the ball to Li Na of China during their women’s singles match at the Qatar Open tournament in Doha, yesterday. Cetkovska won 7-6 (6-2), 3-6, 6-4. BOTTOM: Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic reacts as she celebrates a point against compatriot Lucie Safarova. Kvitova won 7-6, 5-7, 6-2.
DOHA: Qualifier Petra Cetkovska of Czech Republic yesterday produced a dream performance edge world number three Li Na of China to reach the quarter-finals at the $2.5m Qatar Open.
Feisty Cetkovska edged past top seed Li Na, 31, in three sets to go past the third round for the first time in her second appearance in Doha.
The 29-year-old Czech beat the Australian Open champion 7-6 (6-2), 3-6, 6-4 in 2 hours and 46 minutes.
In the quarter-finals - where the loser picks up $50,700 - Cetkovska will take on sixth seed Angelique Kerber of Germany. Kerber yesterday hammered Klara Zakapalova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-3 in 70 minutes.
Also yesterday, Jelena Jankovic, the former world number one, proved too powerful for Russian qualifier Alisa Kleybanova as she posted a 6-1,6-2 win in just 72 minutes on court number 1.
Jankovic, the fifth seed, today will take on 2-11 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic. Kavitova yesterday beat compatriot Lucie Safarova 7-6, 5-7, 6-2.
Serving powerfully, Kvitova fired an astonishing 17 aces against just 6 by Safarova who later hugged her conqueror at the end of the match.
Earlier, Cetkovska was thrilled with her ‘amazing’ win.
“I just tried to play each ball on its merit,” the soft-spoken Czech said after beating Li Na, who was unbeaten in 2014 before yesterday’s clash. “I am so happy with this win,” she added.
“It is an amazing feeling. It feels great to win this tough match,”she added.
“I don’t even know how I played so well here in Doha,” Cetkovska said.
Li Na admitted her rival - still without a career title - was better in the match played on the centre court.
“I think today she played well,” Li Na said.
“I don’t think I was playing so bad. Maybe sometimes you lose points when you make wrong choice. Yes, the wrong choice (on certain shots) make me lose a lot of points, important points,” Li Na explained.
“I still had a lot of chances (to win),” the 31-year-old Chinese said.
Cetkovska said it was tough summarize her feelings after her second to-three or above scalp.
“Well, it’s a little bit difficult to describe at the moment, because I just got down from the court. It’s an amazing victory,” Cetkovska said.
Cetkovska began dominating the match when she broke Li in game four to jump to a 4-2 lead in the first set. However, Li Na immediately broke Cetkovska to reduce the deficit at 3-4.
Both players recorded another service break each as the set headed into a tie-breaker which was sealed by Cetkovska with a flurry of easy points.
Using her powerful baseline game, Li Na broke Cetkovska in games six and eight to take the second set at 6-2.
With third set tied at 4-all, Cetkovska produced deep returns to break her Chinese opponent in game 9 to jump ahead at 5-4 and then held her own serve in game 10 to take the third set and the match after Li Na returned sailed wide on match-point.
“It’s a little bit difficult to really describe exactly what I feel at the moment, because it’s been like 30 minutes only that I stepped out of the court,” Cetskova said after her second successive win over Li Na in three matches.
“But I’m very, very happy with the performance that I did today. Even though I was 3?1 down in the third set, as you said, I could manage to make it and get through.
“So I’m really, really happy, of course. Amazing win for me,” Cetkovska explained.
Also yesterday, fourth seed Sara Errani of Italy crushed Monica Niculescuo of Romania in straight sets. Errani, 26, won 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 in 2 hours 22 minutes.
In the doubles matches, India’s Sania Mirza and partner Cara Black of Zimbabwe beat Pliskova sisters Karolina and Kristyna 4-6, 6-2, 10-4 in 71 minutes.
In another doubles clash yesterday, France’s Carolina Garcia and Oksana Kalashinkova of Georgia 7-6 (7-1), 7-6 (8-6) in 96 minutes.
Meanwhile, Su-Wei Hsieh of Chinese Taipei and Shuai Peng of China combined well to demolish Ukraine’s Irinia Buryachok and Russia’s Vitalia Diatchenko 6-2, 6-4 in 58 minutes.
The Peninsula
