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Patna : World No 7 and two-time former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová, 29, Czech Republic, World No 13 Madison Keys, 24, USA, and World No 4 Naomi Osaka, 22, Japan, entered the semi-finals of WTA Brisbane International in Queensland, Australia, on January 10, 2020.
Fifth seed Kvitová, who had won Wimbledon singles title in 20211 and 2014, beat World No 53 Jennifer Brady, USA, in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 in quarter-finals ending the American’s giant killing run. Kvitová fired 8 Aces in the match to 3 by Brady.Kvitova won three break points in the match to none by Brady. Both the players committed 4 double faults each. Kvitová also won three games in a row in the match.
Brady, 24, a qualifier, had stunned World No 1 and top seed Ashleigh Barty, 23, Australia,in straight sets 6-4, 7-6 in Round of 16 on January 9, 2020. She had also defeated winner of 5 Grand Slam title including Wimbledon and US Open Maria Sharapova, 32, Russia, in the first round on January 7.
Madison Keys, USA, beat World No 27 Danielle Rose Collins, 26, USA, 6-4, 6-1 in the quarter-finals on January 10 winning 4 break points in the match. Keys, the 2017 US Open finalist, fired 5 Aces in the match to 1 by Collins. Keys also won four games in a row in the match. Keys will face Kvitová in the semi-finals on January 11, 2020.
Reigning Australian Open Champion Naomi Osaka, the 3rd seed, beat World No 9 and 6th seed Kiki Bertens, 28, Netherlands, in a tough three-set contest 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in QFs. Sixth seed Bertens though fired 12 Aces in the match to 4 by Osaka. But, Osaka won 3 break points to 2 by Bertens. Both the players won 3 games each in a row in the match. She will play the winner of the QFs match between World No 2 Karolina Pliskova, Czech Republic, and World No 19 Alison Riske, USA, in the semi-finals on January 11.