NEW HAVEN: Former winner Caroline Wozniacki and reigning champ Petra Kvitova beat a pair of WTA young guns yesterday to reach the semis of the New Haven Open, the final tune-up for the US Open.
Four-time winner Wozniacki defeated American wild card Sloane Stephens 7-6 (8/6), 6-2 in a quarter-final contest at the Yale University hardcourt facility.
The third-seeded Czech Kvitova fought back from a first-set stumble to outlast Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 2-6, 6-2, 7-5.
Kvitova is now two wins away from defending a title for the first time.
“I think coming back to a place where you played very well the last year, you have a lot of emotions and you know the pressure is there as defending champion, and you’re defending a lot of points,” Kvitova said.
“But on the other hand, you know that you can play well here.”
REUTERS
