The
two-time
Wimbledon
champion
battled
to
a
6-7
(6-8)
6-4
6-3
victory
in
two
hours
and
18
minutes,
saying
the
match
had
been
“mentally
so
tough”.
Both
players
had
taken
significant
scalps
to
reach
this
stage,
with
Keys
knocking
out
world
number
one
Iga
Swiatek
and
Kvitova
ousting
Wimbledon
runner-up
Ons
Jabeur.
Kvitova
reached
semi-finals
at
Cincinnati
in
2012
and
2018
and
lost
three-set
battles
on
both
occasions,
but
this
time
she
came
good
in
the
decider
to
earn
a
first
final
appearance
at
the
event
and
a
40th
overall
in
her
WTA
career.
????????
@Petra_Kvitova
powers
through
to
the
40th(!)
final
of
her
career!#CincyTennis
pic.twitter.com/vM2iQsyDA2—
wta
(@WTA)
August
20,
2022
The
32-year-old
Czech
slipped
an
early
break
adrift
in
the
opening
set
before
fighting
back
to
force
a
tie-break.
She
came
from
behind
in
that,
too,
to
level
up
at
6-6,
only
for
hard-hitting
American
Keys
to
win
the
next
two
points,
the
first
with
a
sizzling
backhand
winner.
Kvitova
sensed
she
was
still
firmly
in
the
match,
however,
and
surges
to
3-1
in
each
of
the
next
two
sets
provided
the
platform
to
fully
turn
around
the
contest.
A
12th
WTA
1000-level
final
awaits
her,
and
she
will
go
to
20th
in
the
rankings
should
she
lose
Sunday’s
final
and
up
to
15th
if
she
carries
off
the
title.
Kvitova
said
of
her
win:
“It
was
incredibly
tough.
I
expected
it
would
be
tough,
but
I
didn’t
expect
it
that
tough.
Madison
played
unbelievable.
“She
played
an
amazing
tie-break,
but
I
tried
to
keep
going,
be
there
and
be
a
little
calmer
than
before
and
wait
for
the
chances.
It
was
an
incredible
match,
and
I’m
really
happy
that
I
made
it
somehow.
“I
don’t
really
care
about
the
ranking.
Being
in
the
final,
that’s
more
important,
and
that’s
why
I’m
playing
tennis:
to
be
in
finals
and
fighting
for
a
trophy.”
She
awaited
the
winner
of
the
second
semi-final
between
Aryna
Sabalenka
and
Caroline
Garcia.
