Kvitova downs Cirstea to reach Miami Open final

Petra Kvitova powered into the last of the WTA Miami Open connected Friday with a consecutive sets triumph implicit Romania's Sorana Cirstea.

Czech seasoned Kvitova precocious to a Saturday showdown against Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina with a 7-5, 6-4 triumph successful 1hr 41min.

In a conflict of 2 of the WTA's much experienced players, Cirstea, playing successful her archetypal WTA semi-final successful a decade, was fastest retired of the blocks, taking a 5-2 pb successful the archetypal set.

But the Romanian, who is enjoying a revival successful signifier having besides reached the past 8 astatine Indian Wells, failed to person connected either of the 2 acceptable points she had connected service astatine 5-4, with Kvitova breaking doubly to instrumentality the set.

The Czech's momentum carried implicit into the 2nd acceptable wherever she broke Cirstea successful the opening game, her 3rd consecutive break, and from past it was creaseless sailing for the 33-year-old.

The two-time Wimbledon victor mislaid conscionable 7 points successful 5 work games successful the 2nd acceptable arsenic she precocious to the Miami last for the archetypal time.

It was a disappointing extremity for the 32-year-old Cirstea, whose performances person been transformed since she began moving with Swedish manager Thomas Johansson successful the off-season.

Kvitova's triumph gives her the accidental of a ninth vocation WTA 1000 rubric successful what volition beryllium her 13th final.

The Czech hasn't won a WTA 1000 since triumphing successful Madrid for a 3rd clip successful 2018.

Rybakina bushed American Jessica Pegula successful consecutive sets successful the different semi, played connected Thursday, and is looking to implicit the "Sunshine Double" having won astatine Indian Wells earlier this month.

Kvitova and Rybakina person met doubly antecedently with the Kazakhstan subordinate winning successful Ostrava but the Czech enjoying revenge successful Adelaide successful January.

"It's 1-1 truthful we volition spot time who is going to instrumentality it. She's playing precise good, winning Indian Wells, returning present successful the final. For definite it's a large achievement," said Kvitova.

"She's a large hitter, large server arsenic well. I'm the same. It depends truly however we are going to grip the unit from the opponent," she added.

Cirstea tempered her disappointment astatine her exit with a reflection connected a "Sunshine Swing" which saw her transcend astir expectations.

"I worked precise hard to beryllium present and of course, it's bully to backmost up each this enactment with the results and decidedly a 4th and a semi were great," she said.

"Of course, I'm a spot bittersweet astir contiguous due to the fact that I felt I had my chances but again I'm leaving the US with a grin connected my look and with a batch of things to amended arsenic well," she added.