Angelique Kerber beat 2011 WTA champion Petra Kvitova 6-2 7-6 (7-3) in the second round-robin match to move 1-0 in the white group of the WTA Finals in Singapore. Kerber cruised to 6-2 in the first set. Kvitova got an early break in the second set but wasted a 3-0 lead. She earned two set points but failed to convert two set points at 6-5.
Kvitova came into today’s match with a 4-2 lead in her previous head-to-head matches against Kerber. Kvitova won all their last three matches in the third set on hard-court. In their last head-to-head match Kvitova won an epic Fed Cup Final match with 7-6 4-6 6-4.
Kerber had a successful season winning four tournaments in Charleston, Stuttgart, Birmingham and Stanford and reached the semifinals in Wuhan and the quarter finals in Beijing. Kvitova won in Sydney, Madrid and New Haven and lost the quarter final at the US Open against Flavia Pennetta.
Kerber returned to the WTA Finals for the first time since 2012 when she lost all her three round robin matches.
Kerber broke serve in the third game to 30 to take a 2-1 lead and held her service game in the next game. The German got the double break in the seventh game to 15 to pull away to 5-2. Kvitova was unable to earn any break points in the opening set. Kerber served out for the first set to love to cruise to 6-2 in just 26 minutes.
Kvitova fought back from losing the first set by converting her fourth break point at deuce in the second game of the second set with two great forehand winners. She held her serve to pull away to 3-0. In the fifth game the Czech player went down 15-40 before making a double fault on the second break point allowing Kerber to break back for 2-3.
Kvitova broke with a drop shot to lead 4-2. The Czech star got a game point at 40-30 but could not hold her serve. Kerber broke back for 3-4. The German player fended off a break point and managed to hold her service game after a long service game to draw level to 4-all.
In the ninth game Kerber earned a break point after Kvitova made a double fault. Kvitova saved a break point with an ace but Kerber earned another chance. The German broke serve at deuce with a down the line forehand winner to take the 5-4 lead.
Kerber fired a great ace to fend off a break point as she was serving for the match but Kvitova broke to draw the set level to 5-all. Kvitova held her serve to 30 to take the 6-5 edge.
Kerber served to force the second set to the tie-break. She saved two set points with an ace and a forehand winner to force the second set to deuce. Kerber held her serve to draw level to 6-6.
Kerber got the mini-break to take a 4-2 lead. She earned two match points with another mini-break to love The German closed out on her second match point with 7-3 after a solid tie-break. Kerber won her third match in seven head-to-head matches against Kvitova. It was a bad day for Czech tennis players who lost their first matches in this tournament.
Kerber hit 4 aces to Kvitova’s 5 but made just a double fault. She converted five of her seven break point chances and fended off seven of the ten break points she faced.
“I am so happy to win. Petra is an unbelievable player and had a great year. I was trying to move well. I was actually a break down in the first few games and I was Just trying to be aggressive. In the end it was very close so I just decided yo go for it and I am very happy to get the win. I am just enjoying playing here and the fans are amazing”, said Kerber.
