CHALLENGING CONDITIONS: Petra Kvitova battled not only Jelena Ostapenko, but also the elements, to secure a quarter-final berth in wind that made things ‘difficult’

Taipei Times
Date: Feb 28, 2020
By: Dave Carroll  /  Staff reporter, with AFP, DOHA

Taiwanese-Czech top seeds Hsieh Su-wei and Barbora Strycova on Wednesday remained on track to claim a second title in the Middle East in a week, while Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur dumped world No. 3 Karolina Pliskova out of the singles at the Qatar Open.

Hsieh and Strycova, who lifted the doubles trophy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday last week, took just 65 minutes to wrap up a 6-4, 6-2 defeat of unseeded Belinda Bencic of Switzerland and Sofia Kenin of the US at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha.

The top seeds saved two of three break points and converted all four they created, winning 70 percent of points on their second serve to advance to a semi-final against Czech duo Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova, after the fourth seeds crushed Cagla Buyukakcay and Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-2 in 57 minutes.

The top seeds defeated the Czech duo in a feisty semi-final at the Australian Open last month and have a 2-0 career record against them after a victory at the WTA Finals in Shenzhen, China, last year.    [FULL  STORY]