Tennis: Muguruza marches, Kvitova scrambles into WTA semis
Garbine Muguruza and Petra Kvitova qualified for the WTA Finals semi-finals.
SINGAPORE (AFP) - Garbine Muguruza reached the WTA Finals last four unbeaten on Friday after a tough win over Petra Kvitova -- who also qualified for the semis with help from her fellow Czech Lucie Safarova.
On a rollercoaster last day of group play, Muguruza and Kvitova shared 15 service breaks in a see-sawing three-setter before the increasingly impressive Spaniard won 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.
Kvitova s hopes were hanging by a thread but she went through when her friend and Fed Cup teammate Safarova beat Angelique Kerber 6-4, 6-3, stopping the German finishing second in White Group.
Already-eliminated Safarova said she met a delighted Kvitova in the locker room and "she said she might buy me some beers".
Muguruza will play Poland s Agnieszka Radwanska in Saturday s semi-finals while Kvitova will meet Maria Sharapova, who like Muguruza has swept through all three of her group matches.
The semi-finals line-up raises the possibility of a title clash between fast-rising star Muguruza and Russia s Sharapova, the established force with five Grand Slam titles to her name.
"You know to be here for me is a great pay-off after the whole year, and hopefully I can continue winning and playing like this," said Muguruza, who is also into the doubles semi-finals.
Safarova, who was already eliminated and playing for little more than personal and national pride, was delighted to keep Kvitova s hopes alive with her win over Kerber.
"Teamwork! Well, I m happy for her that she went through to the semis, I m happy for my win as well," she said.
The two will lead defending champions Czech Republic at the Fed Cup final in Prague next month against a Russian team spearheaded by Sharapova. "After Fed Cup we can celebrate," Safarova said.
In Friday s first match, Muguruza didn t have it easy against two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova and she had to dig deep in a messy first encounter with the Czech.
With five breaks in the final set alone, Muguruza grabbed the crucial break for 6-5 and it took her four match points before she closed it out with a lunging volley.
Kerber, who needed to win only one set to qualify, did not mask her disappointment and indicated she was distracted by people audibly calculating her match progress during a changeover.
"They were counting. Okay she won one set, now you must win just one set, " she said.
"I was not feeling good. From the first point I couldn t find my rhythm. I was actually not there," she added.
"I was tight and I was not playing my tennis. Lucie played a good match for sure, but for sure it was not my best match today."
Muguruza is bracing herself for a very demanding Saturday as she will also play the doubles semi with compatriot Carla Suarez Navarro against Czechs Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.
"It s going to be a challenge for me to see how much my body can handle, because now I don t have a day off," said Muguruza, 22.
"So, I mean, it s great to be in my position I think now, to be playing singles and doubles semifinals, but it s going to be hard. I have to recover well and do everything possible to be ready for both matches."
