Our tennis guru preview the Cincinnati Open's quarter-finals featuring Angelique Kerber vs Petra Kvitova and Ashleigh Barty vs Barbora Krejcikova.
WTA Tour 2021
WTA 1000
Cincinnati Open
Lindner Family Tennis Centre
Selected Quarterfinals- 20th August
Angelique Kerber 27/20 | Petra Kvitova 57/100
I’ve been fairly successful with my WTA previews this week, with Ms Kerber coming through for me against Svitolina. She then overcame the quagmire that is Jelena Ostapenko in three gruelling sets. Kerber progressed despite a rather nightmarish draw, beating Sakkari, Svitolina and Ostapenko thus far. That does bring up a fairly obvious concern when it comes to the 33-year-old German. How will her body be able to respond to the vagaries of two consecutive three-set matches? This has obviously been exacerbated by the hellish weather conditions that have condensed the entire week. A two-time finalist in this event, Kerber obviously finds the pace in these courts to her liking (perhaps it plays slightly skiddier, like grass). The lefty had endured a fairly humdrum campaign until the grass-court season seemingly re-energized her. Next up for Kerber is a match against her doppelganger (well, in a sense).
11th seed Czech star Petra Kvitova shares many similarities to Kerber (though she has probably remained more generally consistent throughout her career). They are both lefties, which always makes for compelling action (you can expect plenty of serves down the T). They are also both multiple Grand Slam champions who love to play on grass. Like Kerber, Kvitova often saves her best tennis for the big occasion. She reached the Aussie Open final in 2019 and the French Open semi-final just last year. But 2021 has been bang average outside of her Qatar victory in March. Just one semi-final in 11 appearances since is desperately lacking for the generally consistent Czech. But Kvitova has looked devastating this week, absolutely bossing the tournament on her serve. Against Kudermetova she served 10 aces and won 75% of her first-serve points. This could prove to be a classic quarterfinal clash between two of female tennis’ recent greats.
Verdict: Kvitova in straight sets at 5/4
This will unbelievably be the 16th time that these two will have met. Kvitova currently holds the narrowest of head-to-head advantages at 8-7. They have met twice this year, winning one match apiece. Crucially, Kvitova has won both of their matches on North-American hardcourts (including one in this event in 2012). I’m certainly leaning heavily towards the Czech. Her serve has been a goliath and could prove decisive. Kerber will likely be laboured after some epic clashes and may find this a bridge too far. Kvitova to win in straight sets at 5/4.
Ashleigh Barty 32/100 | Barbora Krejcikova 23/10
World Number One Ashleigh Barty arrived in Cincinnati with a point to prove. This has been a devastating season for Barty, who has won four titles on three surfaces including her 2nd Grand Slam at Wimbledon. But the patriotic Aussie will have felt a real pang of disappointment following her limp opening round defeat at the Olympic Games. She really harnessed those patriotic vibes at Wimbledon (she won on the 50th anniversary of fellow indigenous Aussie Evonne Goolagong Cawley’s maiden title). This is her first tournament since and she has successfully redirected her energies. She eased into proceedings with a dogged straight-sets victory over Heather Watson. But she was downright sadistic in disposing of former World Number One Victoria Azarenka (the same Azarenka who reached last year’s US Open Final). It was a brutal display of hardcourt dynamism that will have sent shivers through the collective draw.
Over the past 12 months, you would have to go a long way to find a more unheralded rise than that of Barbora Krejcikova. This time last year the Czech was ranked 118th in the world. She was nominally a doubles specialist (with multiple Slams under her belt in both doubles and mixed doubles). But this year she has managed to completely reinvent herself as an elite singles player. The obvious champagne moment of the year was that whirlwind Roland Garros double (she won both the singles and doubles titles). But she has been far from a one-hit wonder in 2021. She reached her maiden WTA 1000 final in Dubai, ultimately losing in a gruelling three-set match to Garbine Muguruza. She also has titles in Strasbourg and Prague this year (the Prague victory gave us another demonstration of her hardcourt prowess). She breezed past Kasatkina and Yastremska in her opening two matches here. The round of 16 would bring sweet revenge, as she beat Muguruza in a far more competitive encounter. Krejcikova is a dangerous opponent with nothing left to prove this year. Could this mark danger for our World Number One?
Verdict: Barty to win in straight sets at 8/10
The omens look good for Barty: she won their only previous match in straight-sets at Wimbledon this year. I’m trying to look for the angle here but I just can’t see it. Sometimes the obvious option is the best. I just think that Barty is looking supreme at this moment. Krejcikova struggled past Muguruza and I think she will go down in straight sets. Barty in two at8/10.
