Tennis: Kvitova reaches New Haven semis
Petra Kvitova beat Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-4, 6-1 to reach New Haven semi-finals.
NEW HAVEN (AFP) - Reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA New Haven hardcourt tournament Thursday with a 6-4, 6-1 triumph over Czech compatriot Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.
Fourth-ranked Kvitova next will face the winner of a later quarter-final between Australia s Samantha Stosur and Belgium s Kirsten Flipkens in the final warm-up event for the US Open, which begins Monday.
Second seed Kvitova will be the third seed at the year s final Grand Slam event and will open her Flushing Meadows fortnight next week against France s 73rd-ranked Kristina Mladenovic.
Kvitova, a 24-year-old left-hander, won their first meeting in 2008 at Paris but lost to Mladenovic, 21, last year in Paris.
Thursday s other New Haven quarter-finals send Slovakia s Magdalena Rybarikova against American Alison Riske and Italy s Camila Giorgi against Spain s Garbine Muguruza.
Giorgi ousted four-time New Haven champion Caroline Wozniacki, the Danish fourth seed and former world number one, in the second round.
