Published on April 1, 2023 at 12:07 a.m. – updated on April 1, 2023 at 12:10 a.m.
Petra Kvitova, who had not reached this stage of the competition since last August in Cincinnati, qualified for the final of the Miami tournament on Friday after her victory in two sets (7-5, 6-4 ) against Romania’s Sorana Cirstea. The Czech thus joins the young Kazakh Elena Rybakina, titled in Indian Wells and who currently seems unbeatable.
Confronting Elena Rybakina right now is almost mission impossible. Crowned a fortnight ago in Indian Wells by leaving only one set lying around, the young 23-year-old Kazakh player scares everyone. Petra Kvitova (33) will try to bring her down from her little cloud on Saturday in the final in Miami. The Czech joined the terror of the moment on the WTA Tour by bringing down Sorana Cirstea, another player that nothing could stop lately. In the shape of her life at 32, the Romanian only stopped in the quarterfinals in Indian Wells after losing to world number 1 Iga Swiatek. In Florida, she did even better by climbing into the last four, rewarding new exploits, against Caroline Garcia and Aryna Sabalenka in particular. The 74th in the standings, however, did not go far from a new success, against the double winner in Grand Slam. In the first set after having managed the first to break his opponent, at 3-2, Cirstea indeed obtained two set points in quick succession, but without being able to convert them.
First final since Cincinnati for Kvitova
And a little later, only one was enough for the Czech who will soon marry her trainer Jiri Vanek to win the first round and take the lead in this semi-final while it was the Romanian who had served to win this first set. She never digested it, and, like groggy, gave up her face-off in the second round. A godsend for the experienced Kvitova, who never gave the opportunity to the one who will climb Monday to 41st place in the standings to pick up. For the first time since her defeat last August against Garcia, the former world number 2 (she will return to the top 10 if she wins) will therefore play a final again. Her last title (she has won 29 since her debut) dates back to last June on the grass of Eastbourne. At the time, the player forced to have surgery on her left hand seven years ago for having been stabbed while trying to scare away a burglar had already beaten Dona Vekic on her way. Maybe a sign. Even if Rybakina seems unbeatable currently.
