Kvitova downs Pliskova for 15th WTA title in Sydney

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Wilson Blade 9

Second seed Petra Kvitova won two tiebreaks and battled past fellow Czech Karolina Pliskova in the final of the 2015 Apia International Sydney on Ken Rosewall Arena. The Waterford Crystal trophy is the 15th champion’s trophy in Kvitova career and came in her 15th straight victory over a Czech player.

The first set finished in a tough tiebreak won by Kvitova, but it started with Pliskova’s 2-0 lead that included a break of Kvitova’s serve in the first game and a hold to love. Pliskova was leading all the way to 5-3, when Kvitova won three games in a row to go up for the first time in this match, 6-5. Pliskova responded with a love hold, but Kvitova prevailed in the tiebreak. The fourth-ranked Kvitova was the first to go up a break in the second set, but even though she consolidated it for a 3-1 lead, she gave it away later on and we were again treated with a tiebreak. Eventually, it was the more experienced Kvitova who celebrated 7-6(5) 7-6(6).

Despite the loss, Pliskova’s week has been more than successful — she made her first Premier-level quarterfinals, and then her first big semis, and afterwards even the final. The world No.22 Pliskova will now crack the Top 20 for the first time, which means that next week she will have climbed more than 50 spots in a one-year period.

Kvitova’s winning apparel: the collared Nike Winter Advantage Print Polo and the Nike Winter Woven Pleat Skirt.

4 COMMENTS

  1. Emman Damian, I expected Kvitova to have the edge in the final, but yeah, Pliskova is definitely a force now. The AO is bound to be exciting, as always. I mean we even have a R1 clash between Vika and Sloane. It will be the 3rd straight year that Vika and Sloane are facing each other at the Australian Open.

  2. I was hoping Karolina will win the final but she did well in Sydney. I’m so sure she’ll do damage in Australian Open. We need to watch out on the potential 4R clash between Ana and Karolina. It will be an ace bomb match again.

  3. It will be an exciting Australian Open. The winner of the Vika-Sloane slugfest will face Wozniacki in the 2R. I’m a bit doubtful of Caro as she withdrew at Sydney because of wrist injury.

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