Facing Petra Kvitova in full flight is a daunting prospect for even the most in-form opponent.
Fortunately American Jennifer Brady is running hot at this year’s Brisbane International.
And after Kvitova comfortably dismantled qualifier Liudmila Samsonova on Pat Rafter Arena yesterday, she would want to be.
Kvitova – who reached the final of last year’s Australian Open – beat Brady in their only prior meeting, a three-set victory in Dubai last year.
But the 24-year-old Brady is on a roll, having won through three rounds of qualifying before stunning Grand Slam champions Maria Sharapova and world No.1 Ashleigh Barty back to back.
“We’ve had some tough three-setters, and I think she has definitely improved.”
– @Petra_Kvitova is wary of her next opponent @jennifurbrady95 #BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/1F2UYtgYys
— #BrisbaneTennis (@BrisbaneTennis) January 9, 2020
How she will rebound after the high on Thursday of stunning hometown girl Barty on Pat Rafter Arena against a third straight Grand Slam champion remains to be seen.
Nine years since Kvitova hoisted the Brisbane International trophy, the Czech has hit her straps in the early rounds.
After a slow start against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the first round, she quickly found her range.
And the 29-year-old is well across the progress Brady has made in recent months.
“Yeah, hopefully I’m not next,” she joked in reference to the American’s Slam champ-slaying run.
“I will do my best to not be next … I played her last year in Dubai and she gave me some troubles, it was a three-setter.
“Definitely I think she improved. For me, she feels more confident on the court as well.
“She has a great serve. And, yeah, it will be a great match tomorrow, for sure … I just need to serve well, because she’s serving very well.”
Defending champ @KaPliskova is through to the QFs.
The Czech fired down 12 aces to beat Aussie #Tomljanovic: https://t.co/ZIanu2QCkB #BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/vlqqWDkQVa
— #BrisbaneTennis (@BrisbaneTennis) January 9, 2020
Kvitova is one of two Czech Brisbane champions left in the draw.
The other is No.2 seed Karolina Pliskova, who cantered home after dropping the second set to Australian Ajla Tomljanovic on Pat Rafter Arena yesterday.
Much like Kvitova, the defending champion relishes the conditions in Brisbane.
“It’s always great to come back to a tournament where you have won, especially here I won two times,” Pliskova said.
“There is not many tournaments which I won two times, actually only here in Brisbane, so I have to enjoy it.”
Pliskova meets unseeded American Alison Riske on Pat Rafter Arena on Friday night.
The 27-year-old has claimed seven of eight meetings with the world No.19, including twice on hard courts last year.
But like Kvitova, Pliskova knows her unheralded opponent has made big inroads in the past year.
Riske claimed her biggest career win at Wimbledon where she beat world No.1 Barty to reach the quarter-finals.
.@Madison_Keys ends Stosur’s charge for QF spot: https://t.co/pk0iEo6svL#BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/4cfzCOhatC
— #BrisbaneTennis (@BrisbaneTennis) January 8, 2020
“Everything was kind of close, there was some three-setters, some tie-breaks, we play a lot of tiebreaks,” Pliskova said of facing Riske.
“But I think she really improved in the last especially year, so she really went up in the ranking.
“And she’s beating good players, so it’s not going to be easy.
“But I know how to beat her, so I just have to do my stuff and then we will see.”
In an all-American quarter-final opening the day session, No.8 seed Madison Keys meets unseeded Danielle Collins for a semi-final berth.
Collins, a surprise semi-finalist at last year’s Australian Open, easily accounted for No.4 seed Elina Svitolina in the opening round.
She beat Keys in their only prior clash at Indian Wells in 2018.