DOHA: Top seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic and fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland yesterday signed in for the quarter-finals after posting contrasting but quick wins at Khalifa Tennis Complex.
Kvitova, the highest ranked played in Doha this week, was in dominating form when Serbian rival Jelena Jankovic retired in the second set with the former leading the last-16 match.
Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark also won when Romanian qualifier Alexandra Dulgheru retired in the second set with the former leading 6-1, 3-0.
In other matches yesterday, Radwanska eased past Italy’s Flavia Pennetta while Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic overcame a stuttering start to down fifth seed Ekaterina Makarova of Russia.
Sixth seed Andrea Petkovic of Germany beat Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 in 2 hours and 35 minutes.
Radwanska, who has won 14 career titles on the WTA Tour, sealed her win easily with a 6-1, 6-1, in just 49 minutes.
It was Radwanska’s fourth career win over Pennetta in six meetings. Pennetta was the shock winner on Monday when she knocked out two-time Grand Slam winner Svetlana Kuznetsova in three sets. Safarova also moved into the quarter-finals yesterday when she beat Makarova 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 in 2 hours 17 minutes. Radwanska said she was surprised with her quick win.
“Yes, well, actually it surprised me as well. For sure I wouldn’t tell it was going to be that quick. Well, I think I really played great tennis today. I was really aggressive from the beginning and really focused from the beginning and that worked until the end,” Radwanksa said.
“I think this is a tournament that you’re expecting to play long matches and playing against top 20 players. So of course, there’s no easy matches.”
Awaiting Radwanska in the quarter-finals today is No.7 seed Venus Williams, who won an nail-biter in her second round match late on Tuesday night against Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.
Williams leads Radwanska in their head-to-head series, 6-4.
The American beat Radwanska at the Aussie Open in January, snapping a three-match losing streak to her - all three losses in straight sets.
“I think it’s going to be a very good match for revenge,” Radwanska said yesterday. “We just played a few weeks ago in Melbourne. She definitely had a great season last year and a very good beginning of the year this year.
“For sure it’s not going to be an easy one, but I’m looking forward to it. I think playing Venus is always a really good challenge, so I just look forward to it,” the 25-year-old Pole added.
Kvitova who was leading 6-1, 1-1 when Jankovic retired, said she missed out on a fighting display against her Serbian rival.
“It’s not very nice to see someone retiring from a match,” Kvitova said.
“We always have great matches. I lost to her last year here in the quarter-finals, so I was expecting for a tough match which showed actually on the court. The the game I think was pretty high level, the tall Czech added.
“It’s tough to describe something, what’s happened during the match, but I wondered how it is. But I feel sorry for Jelena for sure. I hope that she going to be good and she can be able to compete again,” Kvitova added.
“I am happy that I’m in the quarter-finals for sure. It doesn’t matter how,” she said. “The first set was good for my side and I felt comfy and in good form,” she added. Wozniacki said she is happy with her overall form going into the quarter-finals.
“I played okay. I think it’s much different conditions this week than it was last week (in Dubai), and it feels like the ball doesn’t fly as much,” Wozniacki said. “I just had to kind of get used to it. So, yeah, I’m feeling okay. It’s first match for me and kind of just trying to get into the tournament,” she added.
Two-time champion in Qatar Victoria Azarenka of Belarus defeated Elena Svitolina of Ukraine 6-3, 6-7, 6-1 to make it to the last eight stage.
THE PENINSULA
