Petra Cetkovska of Czech Republic returns the ball to Li Na of China during their women’s singles match at the Qatar Open yesterday. The world number 134 upset Li, the top seed in the tournament. Picture: Noushad Thekkayil
Petra Cetkovska took a bite off her energy bar and just tossed it aside in disgust. She was successful in taking the first set off top seed Na Li, who was unbeaten for 13 matches in 2014, in the third round match at Qatar Total Open yesterday.
But there was little after that gave her confidence. She had lost the second set cheaply and the third wasn’t looking any better. Li was looking like she would get through to the quarterfinals.
Cetkovska then veiled herself behind her towel during the break, blanking herself from the lights, audience, officials and probably even Li. Whatever she told herself in that cocoon, it worked.
After trailing 3-1, she clawed her way back into the game leveling the scores at 4-4. At 30-40 in the ninth game, Li served down the spine for Cetkovska to return just outside the forecourt. Li hit a crosscourt forehand, surging forward to the net looking to end the point quickly with a volley. The world number 134 ended the point quickly but with a lob that got her the much needed break.
A few minutes later, Li came up with her 60th unforced error when her backhand went far enough to hand Cetkovska a ticket to the quarter-final. The scoreline for the three-setter was 7-6(2) 2-6 6-4.
“I’m very, very happy with the performance today,” Cetkovska said after the match. “Even though I was 3-1 down in the third set, I managed to make it and get through. So I’m really, really happy. Amazing win for me.”
Cetkovska has endured ankle injuries in the last few years which saw her rankings plummet from 25 in mid-2012 to the current 134th spot.
“The ranking is just a proof last year,” Li said when she was asked about Cetkovska’s confident play and her lower rank. “She had a big injury and that’s why she didn’t play much (last year). The ranking is nothing. We have already started with 2014; so, you have to think about what to do in 2014. You cannot overthink, and thinking about 2013.”
The Chinese world number three, who will ascend to the second spot behind Serena Williams in the rankings on Monday, said she made wrong choice of shots at crucial points. “I feel in the final set I still had a lot of chances. I thought she played well today. I don’t think I was playing so bad. Maybe sometimes I made wrong choices and they cost me a lot of point, important points.”
Cetkovska next plays sixth seed Angelique Kerber of Germany, who beat Klara Zakopalova of Czech Republic 6-2 6-3 yesterday.
Cetkovska’s compatriot and third seed Petra Kvitova also made it to the quarterfinals where she would face Serbian fifth seed Jelena Jankovic.
Kvitova survived a second set scare from compatriot Lucie Safarova before she closed out her third round match 7-6 5-7 6-2.
Results
Singles third round:
[3] Petra Kvitova (CZE) bt Lucie Safarova (CZE) 7-6 (2) 5-7 6-2; [5] Jelena Jankovic (SRB) bt [WC] Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) 6-1 6-2; [4] Sara Errani (ITA) bt Monica Niculescu (ROU) 2-6 7-5 6-1; [6] Angelique Kerber (GER) bt Klara Zakopalova (CZE) 6-2 6-3; [Q] Petra Cetkovska (CZE) bt [1] Na Li (CHN) 7-6 (2) 2-6 6-4
Doubles second round:
[WC] J Jankovic / A Kleybanova (SRB/RUS) bt [6] R Kops-Jones / A Spears (USA/USA) 6-4 6-4; A Kudryavtseva / A Rodionova (RUS/AUS) bt D Jurak / A Klepac (CRO/SLO) 6-3 6-4; [4] C Black / S Mirza (ZIM/IND) bt K Pliskova / K Pliskova (CZE/CZE) 4-6 6-2 10-4; [2] S Hsieh / S Peng (TPE/CHN) bt I Buryachok / V Diatchenko (UKR/RUS) 6-2 6-4; [3] K Peschke / K Srebotnik (CZE/SLO) bt C Garcia / O Kalashnikova (FRA/GEO) 7-6 (1) 7-6 (6)
Today's action
CENTRE COURT starts 3:30 pm
[Q] P Cetkovska (CZE) vs [6] A Kerber (GER) [3] P Kvitova (CZE) vs [5] J Jankovic (SRB) [7] S Halep (ROU) or A Beck (GER) vs [4] S Errani (ITA)
Not Before 8:00 pm
Y Wickmayer (BEL) or J Cepelova (SVK) vs [Q] M Lucic-Baroni (CRO) or [2] A Radwanska (POL)
COURT 1 starts 3:30 pm
[3] K Peschke (CZE) / K Srebotnik (SLO) vs A Kudryavtseva (RUS) / A Rodionova (AUS) M Niculescu (ROU) / K Zakopalova (CZE) or H Chan (TPE) / L Huber (USA) vs [2] S Hsieh (TPE) / S Peng (CHN)
Not Before 6:00 pm
TBA - [7] A Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) / N Petrova (RUS) or A Groenefeld (GER) / M Lucic-Baroni (CRO) vs [4] C Black (ZIM) / S Mirza (IND)
Not Before 6:00 pm
TBA - [1] S Errani (ITA) / R Vinci (ITA) or L Raymond (USA) / S Zhang (CHN) vs [WC] J Jankovic (SRB) / A Kleybanova (RUS)