Tennis news - Petra Kvitova overcomes home favourite Ashleigh Barty in straight sets to reach semis

Updated 22/01/2019 at 13:24 GMT

Petra Kvitova produced a convincing performance to reach the Australian Open semi-finals after a 6-1 6-4 victory over Ashleigh Barty.

Petra Kvitova

Image credit: Getty Images

[WATCH AUSTRALIAN OPEN LIVE ON EUROSPORT AND EUROSPORT PLAYER]

The Czech ended the home favourite's charge in Melbourne as she dominated the opening set with 12 winners to Barty's two to silence the crowd at the Rod Laver Arena.

The 15th seed gave a good account of herself in the second set, but Kvitova reeled off the final three games in style to reach her second Australian Open semi-final.

Australian Open

'I'm really grateful for her' - Swiatek says Barty has been a 'huge inspiration'

16/01/2024 at 17:52

Kvitova's backhand was strong throughout and is back in the last four of a major for the first time since she won her Wimbledon title in 2014.

Highlights: Better-than-ever Kvitova proves too good for Barty

Danielle Collins awaits the eighth seed for a place in the final after the American defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 2-6 7-5 6-1 earlier on Tuesday.

Speaking on court afterwards, Kvitova said: "For sure. First of all, I'm sorry guys. She's such a nice person and you should all be very proud of her. It was a great match. She didn't give me anything for free and I had to fight until the very end.

"I didn't think I would ever be back in this great stadium playing at this stage. It feels great."

Kvitova talks to Eurosport after her quarter-final win

Kvitova's comeback has been one of the sport's more remarkable stories but her failure to back up impressive form on the WTA Tour at the grand slams last year meant she arrived in Melbourne with little fanfare despite winning the warm-up tournament in Sydney.

In the final a little over a week ago she defeated Barty in a tight tussle decided by a third-set tie-break after the Australian had won the opening set for the loss of only one game.

Tearful Kvitova - 'I never imagined I'd make it back to this great stage'

Here it was Kvitova who raced through the opener, her clean power-hitting too much for Barty, who looked to be feeling the weight of expectation upon her shoulders.

The 22-year-old dug in at the start of the second set and began to disrupt Kvitova's rhythm but chances to break came and went in the opening two games and, when the Czech seized her opportunity at 5-4, the end swiftly followed.