New Haven, CT (SportsNetwork.com) - Former champion and last year's runner- up Petra Kvitova was an easy quarterfinal winner Thursday at the Connecticut Open tennis event, a final U.S. Open tune-up.
The second-seeded left-handed star eased past fellow Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-4, 6-1 on the hardcourts at the Connecticut Tennis Center at Yale.
The two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova titled here in 2012 and was last year's New Haven runner-up to Simona Halep.
Next up for Kvitova is former U.S. Open champ Samantha Stosur, who outlasted Kirsten Flipkens, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
The other semifinal will pit Magdalena Rybarikova against Camila Giorgi. Rybarikova, who stunned the top-seeded Halep on Tuesday, snuck past American Alison Riske 7-5, 0-6, 6-4, while Giorgi defeated Garbine Muguruza, 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2.
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