Tennis News: Petra Kvitova dispatches Ons Jabeur to enter the quarter-finals

The Czech player now has four wins over Jabeur in their head-to-head, which includes consecutive wins in Cincinnati.

Jabeur is the first Top ten player Kvitova bested in the Masters series event. She only won three of her last 17 clashes against a Top 10 player. 

Luck favoured the two-time Wimbledon champion as she put up an attacking front and struck five aces. However, she also made 43 unforced errors.

The aggression from her opponent cornered Jabeur couldn't hold her serve despite fighting hard. She hit fewer errors but couldn't find enough winning points. 

The Tunisian made two double faults in her opening service game and landed 35% of her first serves in the opening set. The Czech now has 20 match wins for the season, which could positively impact her rankings.

A frustrated Jabeur was helpless in the decisive set even after a series of brilliant strokes earned her the second one. Kvitova now hopes to channel her best form for a long stretch ahead. 

Kvitova will meet Ajla Tomljanovic or Veronika Kudermetova in the last eight of the Western & Southern Open.

Madison Keys downs world number one Iga Swiatek

Madison Keys outclassed top-ranked Iga Swiatek 6-3 6-4 and secured a spot in the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Masters. 

Madison Keys failed to convert four match points but persisted in securing her first win over a reigning world number one. Now, the 2019 Cincinnati winner Keys will compete against Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina for a semifinal spot. 

Rybakina beat American Alison Riske 6-2, 6-4, while Zhang Shuai toppled second-seeded Anett Kontaveit 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. Swiatek was on a 37-match winning streak grabbing six consecutive titles before being beaten by Alize Cornet at the Wimbledon third round.

The recent loss will drop Swiatek's record to 4-4 in her last eight matches. One of the primary concerns could be her discomfort with the Wilson US Open ball. 

She has called the ball "horrible" in contrast to the lighter ball and fast court conditions she is used to. Kvitova had not pocketed a single win in all the five prior meetings against world number one players. 

When Keys was down 2-3, she regained her focus and launched nine consecutive games to establish a 6-3, 5-0 lead. The 24th-ranked American shot a backhand as Swiatek served at 4-5. 

She mastered the forehand to secure her last three match points.

Shuai Zhang edges past Anett Kontaveit to secure 1st Top 10 win since 2018

Shuai Zhang toppled Estonian Anett Kontaveit 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 on Thursday at the Cincinnati Masters held in the Linder Tennis Family Center and entered the quarter-finals, where she will encounter the winner of a match between Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka and American wild card Shelby Rogers. 

Zhang Shuai rallied from a breakdown in the third set to thrash the second-ranked Anett Kontaveit in the third round of the Western & Southern Open. 

It marks the Chinese star's fifth Top five win overall and first Top 10 win after besting Angelique Kerber at Beijing 2018. Before her recent victory, the 33-year-old Chinese defeated Japanese Naomi Osaka 6-4, 7-5 and Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-3, 6-4.

Kontaveit had taken down Czech qualifier Tereza Martincova 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 in the previous round of the Cincinnati Masters.

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