The butterfly -- a gorgeous golden creature, but clearly not very smart -- set itself down Saturday on Center Court at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Considering that Petra Kvitova and Madison Keys were engaged in an eye-widening bash-fest, this was an ill-advised decision that threatened its very existence.

Thankfully,  an alert ball boy scooped up the butterfly and deposited it -- quite alive -- safely in the courtside photographers section. Applause swept through the stadium and even chair umpire Kader Nouni smiled and nodded his head in approval.

Cincinnati: Scores | Draws | Order of play

If it wants to live into next week, that butterfly might want to consider flying clear of Sunday’s Western & Southern Open final between Kvitova and Caroline Garcia. For fast hard courts, light balls and two strong and aggressive opponents will almost certainly result in another display of potentially lethal power tennis.

Describing the diversity in Keys’ power game earlier this week in Cincinnati, Kvitova said, “Definitely she has more kinds of this stuff. I’m just boom-boom.”

Will that one-two punch be enough to upend a red-hot Garcia? Going back to mid-June, the 28-year-old from France has won 23 of 27 matches.

WTA Insider Courtney Nguyen and Greg Garber bat the ball around for this highly anticipated final.

Advantage, Kvitova

Here’s a telling snapshot from match against Keys: After losing an excruciatingly close first-set tiebreak, Kvitova was up 4-3 when she found herself down love-40. Steely and methodical, she won one, two, three, four and five straight points -- the last on yet another winner, which brought out a roar from the two-time Wimbledon champion.

Kvitova outlasts Keys in Cincinnati to reach 40th career singles final

In fact, Courtney, I thought Kvitova showed uncharacteristic emotion throughout the match, which underlines how much it means to her at this stage of her career. She’s 32 now and was only 17-15 coming into the Cincinnati tournament. Her title earlier this year in Eastbourne was only her second in three years. In her 11th Cincinnati appearance, she reached the finals for the first time.

This is her 40th WTA-level final, something achieved by only five of her active peers: Serena and Venus Williams, Simona Halep, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Victoria Azarenka. The wisdom acquired in those finals should be enough to carry her to her first WTA 1000 since last March in Doha. Also worth noting: Only Halep, Azarenka, Caroline Wozniacki and Agnieska Radwanska have won more WTA-1000 matches than Kvitova’s 167.

 "This is very special about the tennis, that every week you have a new chance to do well," Kvitova told reporters. "In Toronto I was, like, ‘Oh, my God, I played so bad.' I couldn't really fight, couldn't find the rhythm and suddenly now playing in the final. 

"Yeah, I had some injuries. It wasn't really easy all the season so far, so I'm really happy to experience another final, first time in Cincy. Yeah, finally I made it."

The conditions in Cincinnati could not suit her big game more. Kvitova had 26 winners and has hit a staggering 153 in five matches. Yes, you mathematicians out there, that works out to 30-plus each time out.

In the victory over Keys, Kvitova displayed some grit that has been lacking lately. And don’t forget, she’s already faced the abyss in this event, saving a match point against Jil Teichmann in a draining first-round match. You get the idea that she’s not going to let this one get away.

One more reason to believe: Kvitova, the closer, has won 11 of her past 14 WTA finals. -- Greg Garber

Advantage, Garcia

Greg, I'm the last person who would ever doubt Kvitova's winning abilities, but the numbers surrounding Garcia's resurgence are impossible to ignore.

Since coming back from foot injury in May, Garcia has only won the doubles title at Roland Garros, beaten the World No.1 on home soil, picked up two titles on two different surfaces, gone undefeated against Top 10 opponents (4-0), overtaken the reigning Wimbledon champion atop the ace leaderboard and won more matches than anyone since the start of June.

A win on Sunday would push her back in the Top 20 for the first time since 2019. Yet when asked if she felt like she was playing like a Top 10 player, Garcia smiled and shrugged.

"I don't know, you tell me," Garcia said. "I don't really care. I'm really glad to be seeded for US Open just to practice on the good courts."

That even-keeled approach to her hot streak is one born out of experience. Garcia was a highly touted teenager who reached a career-high No.4 after winning back-to-back WTA 1000 titles at 2017 Wuhan and Beijing.

Yet she came into the 2022 season ranked just inside the Top 75. Wins weren't easy to come by in the past few seasons, which means Garcia knows better than anyone that you have to savor these moments when they come. 

"I had some difficult past years," Garcia said. "When I won Beijing, I was like 30, 25 in the world, so you are not coming from that far.

"But, yeah, it feels different. I'm different, and I'm enjoying every single win I have more with my team, with the work that we are doing. It makes it easier to come back the next day."

Like Kvitova, Garcia's game revolves around her serve and forehand, and both have been locked in this week. And like Kvitova, Garcia is an incredibly tough out when she gets to the final weekend.

She is 2-0 in WTA 1000 finals and has won six of her last seven finals. In a week in which she dispatched three Top 10 opponents in Maria Sakkari, Jessica Pegula and Aryna Sabalenka, she's made history as the first qualifier to make the final of a WTA 1000 tournament.