Andreescu overcomes Kvitova; Rybakina advances in Guadalajara

A battle between Grand Slam champions went the way of Bianca Andreescu at the Guadalajara Open Akron on Tuesday, as the Canadian ousted No.16 seed Petra Kvitova 3-6, 6-2, 6-0.

In their first meeting, the 2019 US Open champion Andreescu took 2 hours and 11 minutes to overcome Kvitova in the second round, becoming the first player to reach this week’s Round of 16.

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"The first set kind of just went past me," Andreescu said after her win. "[Kvitova] was hitting some very big shots, and her serve was very effective, and I felt like my emotions got the better of me as well towards the end of the first set. But I bounced back. 

"I just wanted to make her play as much as I could, use my serve to my advantage, and just put pressure on her return, and I think I did that really well. And just fighting, competing really well."

Andreescu knocked Kvitova out of WTA Finals contention. The 2011 WTA Finals champion Kvitova needed to reach this week’s final to have a chance to qualify for the eighth WTA Finals appearance of her career.

Kvitova won a grueling 13-minute game to break for 3-1 in the first set, but she immediately handed the break back with two consecutive double faults. In the next game, it was Andreescu’s turn to be broken on a double fault, and Kvitova took the one-set lead from there.

However, after the opening set, Andreescu dominated on return. In the second set, the Canadian found a fierce forehand to force an error on her third set point. Andreescu was unstoppable in the third set as well, and a Kvitova forehand found the net on the fifth match point to wrap up the affair. 

All told, Kvitova never held serve in the last two sets, where Andreescu broke Kvitova seven times in a row. Andreescu was 8-for-20 on break points in the match, while Kvitova was 4-for-12 and had eight double faults.

Also on Tuesday, reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina defeated former World No.1 Karolina Pliskova 7-6(5), 6-2 in a 76-minute first-round match. Rybakina has now won both of her meetings with Pliskova in straight sets.

Video Highlights: Rybakina def. Pliskova

In a clash between two of the top servers on tour -- they have combined to strike over 600 aces this season -- Rybakina of Kazakhstan came back from 5-3 down in the first set to oust Pliskova. Rybakina finished the match with nine aces, while Pliskova had four.

Rybakina slammed one of those aces to take a 5-2 lead in the first-set tiebreak. Pliskova pulled back to 5-5, but Rybakina forced a netted error with a drop shot to earn set point at 6-5. There, Pliskova double-faulted to cede the first set to Rybakina, and the Kazakh eased through the second set.

Rybakina sets up an intriguing second-round match against No.3 seed Jessica Pegula of the United States. Pegula won their lone previous meeting, 6-3, 6-4 in Miami earlier this year.

Rybakina still has an outside shot to qualify for the WTA Finals, but she needs to win the title to give herself any chance.