Tennis – Australian Open – Fourth Round – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, January 20, 2019. Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova reacts during the match against Amanda Anisimova of the U.S. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
January 20, 2019
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova steamrolled American teenager Amanda Anisimova 6-2 6-1 to sail into the quarter-finals of the Australian Open after a year in the Grand Slam wilderness.
The eighth-seed dominated Anisimova’s serve in the early match at Rod Laver Arena and smacked 18 winners to end the 17-year-old’s fairytale run at Melbourne Park after less than an hour.
Lefthander Kvitova booked her first quarter-final appearance in Melbourne since her run to the 2012 semi-finals and first at a Grand Slam since the 2017 U.S. Open.
The Czech will meet either Maria Sharapova or Ashleigh Barty for a place in the semi-finals.
(Editing by Peter Rutherford)