World no. 4 Petra Kvitova plays for just the second time since the US Open when she takes on former French Open finalist Sara Errani in the first round of the China Open on Sunday. The match is live at approximately 2pm local time (7am BST.)
As ever, the phenomenally talented Petra Kvitova has had a year that has gone up and down, largely on her own terms. A few early losses and sudden let-downs – like her third round Wimbledon loss to Jelena Jankovic – have punctuated her season-long campaign, but the process has been scattered with highs more often than in previous years. Channelling her devastating lefty power to perfection, Kvitova picked up her first win over world no. 1 Serena Williams back in May, and has also won titles at three events. One of these, in Sydney, kicked off her season, while another was the Premier event in Madrid. The most recent one, however, is the most significant, as Petra Kvitova has never really lost form since her victory in New Haven.
True, she has only played two tournaments since then – most notably the US Open, where she made the quarter-finals. But the Czech played great tennis throughout the duration of the two events, only stumbling when she self-destructed a little in falling to eventual New York champion Flavia Pennetta last month. And in Wuhan, she fell to Roberta Vinci, who was on a roll after her US Open final appearance.
In Beijing, Kvitova would be wise to seize the opportunity to show that she can sustain her great form. She is the closest thing the tournament has to a defending champion, after the withdrawal of Maria Sharapova – who beat the 25-year-old in last year's final.
As things stand, it doesn't look like she will have too much trouble. Sara Errani, the 2012 Roland Garros finalist, is scheduled to be her first round opponent, and while her abilities have obviously taken her to the heights, her counter-punching, scrambling game is not suited to Kvitova's sharp, powerful dominance.
Currently ranked world no. 22, Errani hasn't had a bad year, claiming a WTA title at Rio de Janeiro in February and going deep at several other venues. But she hasn't beaten many top players at all, and Kvitova's calibre could overwhelm her. There is a reason that she isn't seeded in Beijing.
Petra Kvitova leads her head-to-head with Errani by a whopping six wins to love, with five of those triumphs coming on hard-courts.
Yet there is some hope for Sara Errani. The last three encounters between the pair have gone to the distance, with the most recent – all the way back in 2013 – being the closest. In that match, Errani pushed the Czech in a 6-4 6-7(3) 6-3 battle. And that match happened to take place here, in Beijing.
Petra Kvitova and Sara Errani will meet for the seventh time at approximately 2pm local time (4am BST.)
