AO - Day 7 - Kvitova v Sakkari

The round of sixteen had been reached in the 2020 Australian Open, and on Day Seven on RLA last year’s finalist Petra Kvitová met Greek rising star Maria Sakkari to determine one of this years quarter finalists.

Sakkari began the better, breaking the Czech serve, recipient of a suite of unforced errors. Kvitova improved immediately, but even two backhand winners couldn’t prevent Sakkari from consolidating her break, a drop shot one of her highlights.

Kvitova continued to improve her serving display, and won 16 of 20 points in her next four trips to the line.

Sakkari maintained the break however, not facing a break point, and served for the set at 5-4.

Following errors by each player, Sakkari missed a forehand and backhand both long, and faced two break back points. Another backhand floated wide and games were 5-5.

Incredibly that sparked a run of three service breaks - two failed attempts by Sakkari to serve the set out meant a tie break was required.

Kvitova won the first two points in the tie break, but after six points, it was all square, four decided against the serve. Serving at 4–4, Kvitova double faulted, and with two serves of her own to come, Sakkari first drew a return error from Kvitova to earn two set points. She only needed one, as a swinging serve out wide was a winner. 7-6(4) and Kvitova had some work to do.

Set two was indeed strange. There were break points in all of the first six games, and service breaks in four, all up meaning games were 3-3.

Sakkari served in the seventh game, and Kvitova began it with a backhand return winner. Sakkari responded with a forehand winner down the line. A killer forehand return split Sakkari wide open and a double fault produced two break points. One was saved by a generous Czech mistake, but charity stopped when a blinding backhand return clinched a break. Kvitova led 4-3.

The eighth game didn’t follow the script as there was no break point - Kvitova held serve easily, surrendering a single point, donating a backhand down the line winner, a forehand just as effective, and a serve too big for Sakkari. A forehand pass sealed a 5-3 position.

Sakkari unforced errors pushed Kvitova to two set points. One was saved when Kvitova missed wide. A double fault gave the set to the seventh seed 6-3.

For seven games of the deciding set, the only threat on serve came in the second game. 

Sakkari was at the line, and received a Kvitova forehand down the line winner. She then dumped a shot into the net. 0-30. An ace for 15-30. A backhand cross court winner from Kvitova and two break points. A lucky net cord saved one, a Kvitova netted forehand the second.

A game point was wasted with an unforced error, and a third break point came with a wild forehand.

A Czech forehand forced Sakkari into ruin, and the break was completed.

At 2-5 Sakkari was serving to stay alive in the tournament. Two Greek backhand errors  0-30. A slashing backhand return and three match points. One saved with Czech error. An ace saved the second. Sakkari netted a forehand and Petra Kvitová won a quarter final berth 6-7(4) 6-3 6-2.