Petra Kvitova earned a spot in the semifinals of the French Open for the first time since 2012, thanks to a 6-3 6-3 victory over Laura Siegemund.
Kvitova admitted after the match Wednesday she had been feeling nervous from the moment she woke up, but there were no signs those nerves affected the Czech’s game as she continued the impressive form she has been displaying in Paris.
The two-time grand slam champion is yet to drop a set over the course of the tournament.
“Going into the match, I knew it would be a big fight about every point,” Kvitova told reporters.
“She’s a very tricky opponent, she has lots of variety in her game, and I knew it would be very tough. Of course, playing the quarterfinal of a grand slam, it’s nothing easy with the nerves as well. So I’m pretty happy about my side, of the mental side and about how I handle it, the pressure, out there as well.”
Victory over world No. 66 Siegemund, who enjoyed her best ever run at a grand slam, means Kvitova faces American Sofia Kenin in the final four. Kenin defeated compatriot Danielle Collins 6-4 4-6 6-0 on Wednesday and continues her pursuit of a second grand slam title, having won the Australian Open earlier this year.
Both players are bidding to play in their first French Open final, which for Kvitova would be another remarkable step in her career since suffering a knife attack at her home in the Czech Republic in 2016.
In the aftermath, Kvitova said she was “fortunate to be alive” and went on make her tennis comeback at Roland Garros the following year.
“When I just look back anyway, those four years were very tough but very happy, too,