Kvitova beats Barty to set up Doha final with Sabalenka
DOHA: Petra Kvitova battled past world number one Ashleigh Barty 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 on Friday to set up a Qatar Open final against Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka.
The two-time Wimbledon winner overcame a second-set blip to reach the 37th WTA final of her career and her second in Doha, where she won the 2018 title.
Kvitova ended a run of four straight defeats by Barty, including in the Australian Open quarter-finals earlier this year.
"I did have chances in the last meetings with her as well, but today I was just maybe braver and that's how it is," Kvitova told wtatennis.com.
It will be Kvitova's first final since April last year in Stuttgart.
The 29-year-old Czech, ranked 11th in the world, is chasing a 28th tour title, having lost only nine finals.
"I always bring something else in the finals and I just love playing finals," said Kvitova. - AFP