Eighth seed Petra Kvitova powered past local hope Ashleigh Barty to make the Australian Open semi-finals on Tuesday in the Czech’s best Grand Slam performance since she was injured in a terrifying knife attack.
The two-time Wimbledon champion broke down in tears after defeating Barty 6-1, 6-4 to set up a final four clash with unseeded American Danielle Collins.
“Thank you guys, I didn’t really imagine being back in this great stadium again to play with the best. It’s great,” said the 28-year-old left-hander, who was attacked in her home in the Czech Republic in late 2016.
Kvitova required extensive surgery after the burglar slashed her racquet hand, leaving her with permanent nerve damage, but she has put together one of the best winning streaks of her career this year.Read more