Petra Kvitova emotionally reached her first Grand Slam semifinal since 2014 by dismissing local favorite Ashleigh Barty in straight sets. It is now certain that Simona Halep will no longer be the WTA No.1 after the Australian Open. The Czech’s opponent in the final four will be American Danielle Collins, who is playing her first ever main draw in Melbourne and who had never before been past the first round at a major.
After racing through the first set in 27 minutes, the eighth-seeded Kvitova was faced with resistance from the 15h-seeded Barty in the second set, but the two-time Wimbledon champion saved two break points and won the last three games to record a 6-1 6-4 victory and reach the first Grand Slam semifinal of her “second career”, as she calls her career after coming back from the 2016 stabbing by a burglar.