WTA Stuttgart: Petra Kvitova tops Anett Kontaveit for trophy number 27
Competing in the 36th WTA final and the first at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, world no. 3 Petra Kvitova lifted the 27th WTA crown, ousting Anett Kontaveit 6-3, 7-6, in an hour and 31 minutes. Petra is the first player with multiple WTA titles in 2019 and she will extend the lead in the WTA Race, reaching already four titles this year and building the form ahead of Madrid where she won the title a year ago. Anett scored two tight wins over Petra at Roland Garros last spring and at the beginning of the season in Brisbane although she couldn't level the overall score to 3-3, losing ground in the crucial moments to send the Czech over the top.
Petra fended off five out of seven break points and scored three breaks from six opportunities to wrap up the encounter in straight sets and go home with that beautiful trophy. Kvitova repelled two break points in the first game of the match to avoid an early setback and hit the zone, giving away just four points in the remaining four service games and securing a break in game six with a booming forehand winner that pushed her 4-2 in front. Hold at 30 delivered the opener for the Czech in game nine although she had to work harder in set number two, trailing 3-1 before pulling the break back (four breaks of serve in the opening five games), serving to stay in the set at 5-4.
Kontaveit had a colossal chance to send the clash into a decider, creating two set points that Petra erased with some strong hitting, building the momentum and taking the tie break 7-2 after four mini-breaks. A forehand winner sealed the deal for the Czech, her 20th of the day overall, and she is the top favorite for the crown in Madrid as well in two weeks.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2PBM0fl
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