Petra Kvitova and Dominika Cibulkova will play for the 2016 Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open singles title on Saturday after winning contrasting semi-finals.
Cibulkova had to battle all the way to overcome Svetlana Kuznetsova 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 and earn a win which cements her place in the World’s Top Ten. “I can’t even describe how I’m happy that I was able to play this tennis today so good and so powerful,” said Cibulkova. “You know, I’m just playing a good tennis, and that’s what keeps me going.”
The Wuhan Open will be Cibulkova’s fifth final of a standout 2016 season. “I always thought about myself, like I’m a good player, I can beat top players. But I was missing consistency in my game. This is the first year that I’m really consistent playing the whole year.”
Kvitova, who won the Wuhan Open trophy in 2014 in the tournament’s first year, was in irresistible form against Simona Halep, dishing out 34 winners in a merciless 61 62 win. “34 is a pretty good number actually. I really felt good on the court. I was not really thinking how well I was playing or how my game was. I was really just focusing on the next point,” said Kvitova. “I don’t know. I just felt that I got to really push her a lot, that I was really playing aggressive, even from backhand. I was really going for that.”
“It’s long time since I played Domi. I think she improved her game, for sure. I think she’s trying to attack more, especially from the forehand. It’s true, I don’t really have great memories to playing her. But I think the same with Simona or Angie (Kerber) or whatever. I should take the positive from all matches I played here and just try to do the same as I did all week here because it was kind of good.”
Sania Mirza can take firm hold on the World No.1 ranking in doubles if she and Barbora Strycova can get the better of in-form Lucie Safarova and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who won the US Open doubles title earlier this month.
2016 DONGFENG MOTOR WUHAN OPEN – WUHAN, CHN
$2,589,000
25 SEPTEMBER-01 OCTOBER 2016
RESULTS – SEPTEMBER 30, 2016
Women’s Singles – Semifinals
[14] P. Kvitova (CZE) d [4] S. Halep (ROU) 61 62
[10] D. Cibulkova (SVK) d [9] S. Kuznetsova (RUS) 36 63 64
Women’s Doubles – Semifinals
[3] S. Mirza (IND) / B. Strycova (CZE) d [2] H. Chan (TPE) / Y. Chan (TPE) 64 36 10-7
[5] B. Mattek-Sands (USA) / L. Safarova (CZE) d C. Mchale (USA) / S. Peng (CHN) 64 63
Quarterfinals
[3] S. Mirza (IND) / B. Strycova (CZE) d [6] T. Babos (HUN) / Y. Shvedova (KAZ) 63 76(5)
ORDER OF PLAY – SATURDAY, OCTOBER 01, 2016
CENTRE COURT start 1:00 pm
DOUBLES FINAL – [5] B. Mattek-Sands (USA) / L. Safarova (CZE) vs [3] S. Mirza (IND) / B. Strycova (CZE)
Not Before 3:30 pm
SINGLES FINAL – [14] P. Kvitova (CZE) vs [10] D. Cibulkova (SVK)
The Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open takes place between 23 September and 01 October 2016. For more information and to buy tickets visit: www.wuhanopen.org
The official websites for ticket sales www.wuhanopen.org and www.4008702014.com or call +86 400 870 2014
About the 2016 Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open:
Optics Valley International Tennis Centre, Wuhan, China
WTA Premier 5 event
September 23 – 01 October 2016
Prize Money: US$ 2,589,000
56 Singles Main Draw, 32 Qualifying Draw, 28 Doubles Draw
Topics: 10sballs, 2016 Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open, BETHANIE Mattek-Sands, Dominika Cibulkova, Lucie Safarova, Petra Kvitova, Simona Halep, Sports, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Tennis Results, Wuhan Open Tennis