'No idea what was going on' - Petra Kvitova saves two match points before beating Garbine Muguruza at US Open
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ByEurosport
Updated 03/09/2022 at 23:53 GMT
Petra Kvitova saved two match points en route to beating Garbine Muguruza in a match-deciding tie-break. In their seventh meeting on the WTA tour, Kvitova got her sixth win in a row against the Spaniard, winning 5-7, 6-3, 7-6[10] in 2 hours and 38 minutes. Asked how she fought back to win the contest, she admitted to Eurosport's Alex Corretja: "I had no idea what was going on".
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Petra Kvitova saved two match points before winning a final set tie-break to beat Garbine Muguruza in the US Open third round.
With Muguruza holding match points at 5-3 and 6-5 in the third set, the Czech was able to rescue match points in both games before converting her own fourth one in the super tie-break to win 5-7 6-3 7-6 (12-10).
The No.21 seed has returned to the last 16 of the US Open for the seventh time in her career where she will meet No.8 seed Jessica Pegula.
Kvitova, who has never gone beyond the quarter-final stage at Flushing Meadows, has now beaten Muguruza in six of their last seven meetings.
The 32-year-old admitted to Eurosport's Alex Corretja after the match that she did not know how she was able to stay in the match.
"I had no idea what was going on," she said.
"I was losing. I lost the first set. I was up then down. I was trying to somehow hold out and I did it in the end.
"I saved some match points. It definitely helped me the first round in Cincinnati [saving a match point before beating Jil Teichmann] for sure, probably even on the mental side a little bit knowing I had beaten her [Muguruza] before five times. It could have been everything
"Mentally it's really frustrating. I tried to keep calm. I try to be there every point, moving and playing rallies. The tie-break was so tough. It was the first time ever I've ever played a tie-break to ten points so before I'd have won one if was up to seven but that's how it is.
"I'm very happy and proud of my performance today for sure."
Eurosport expert Mats Wilander believes Kvitova's win over Muguruza will give this year's Cincinnati Open finalist a "huge" confidence boost entering the second week of the Grand Slam.
He said: "Both players need to win this match because they need to starting getting on their horse for the Grand Slams.
"Kvitova just made a finals in the summer circuit, but I think confidence wise to beat Muguruza is huge.
"She even served and volleyed on one match point so for me she's taking chances tactically, not with just hitting the ball really hard. She's getting wise but still as dangerous."
Speaking in her press conference after the match, Muguruza was pleased with her own performance despite the defeat.
"Probably need some extra confidence playing on those match points," she told reporters.
"Also not playing too many matches, you know, I kind of felt it. I felt that she did a final so she was pretty confident on her serve and on her groundstrokes.
"Overall I'm actually happy with what I showed on the court."
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