By Lance Jenkinson
Two-time grand slam champion Petra Kvitova has done a demolition job on Australia’s last hope Ash Barty in the Australian Open women’s singles quarter finals.
The eighth seed from the Czech Republic coasted to a straight sets 6-1 6-4 win in one hour, eight minutes to silence the pro-Australia crowd at Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday night.
“Today Petra was outstanding, she really was,” Barty said. “She took it away from me quite early in the match. She’s very capable of doing that I suppose.”
Everything Kvitova touched turned to gold in an impressive first set.
The 28-year-old was efficient with her serve, dictating points from the baseline and coming up with the big winners when it mattered.
While Kvitova inflicted three breaks of serve, she also denied two chances to Barty, one with a powerful cross court winner and the other with an ace.
Whenever Kvitova was challenged, she had all the answers, racing through the first set in 27 minutes.
Barty was disappointed with the scoreline from the first set, but not her own application.
“I don’t think it was a slow start,” Barty said. “It was more of a Petra start. She took the match away from me. I know I did everything possible to try and get myself back into the match, but she was too good tonight.”
While the first set could not have gone any worse for Barty, she did not die wondering in the second set.
Barty produced some more adventurous play, backing herself with a number of eye catching winners and doing some fine work at the net.
It looked as though Barty might have be able to force a third set, but Kvitova got the crucial break in the ninth game.
Kvitova has enjoyed a dream run to the semi final, not dropping a single set.
She was pleased with her preparation in the lead up to the tournament.
“I think it’s about the confidence a little bit, for sure,” she said. “It’s about the off season, of the preparation, which I really had tough one before this season.”
Kvitova will face USA surprise packet Danielle Collins, who came from a set down to beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in an earlier quarter final.
Kvitova will be hard to beat with all her weapons on song.
She was smooth with her movement against Barty, effortless with her stokes and hard to pass because of her length.
Barty was out-classed on this night.
She could not repeat her stunning form that saw her beat Maria Sharapova in the fourth round.
The quarter final is Barty’s best finish at a grand slam so far and she has risen up to 15th in the world, so she has great platform to build on in 2019.
