Kvitova battles past Bertens, wins third Madrid title

Everything what I had in my body, I just tried to put it out, even if it was very, very tough today. Winning three times in Madrid means something. PETRA KVITOVA, Winner

MADRID: Petra Kvitova outlasted the unseeded Kiki Bertens to win a thrilling Madrid Open final on Saturday 7-6(8-6), 4-6, 6-3 and become the first player to lift the trophy for a third time.

Czech Kvitova, ranked 10th in the world, struck the first blow in a tense match which lasted two hours 52 minutes by edging the tie-break at the end of a gruelling 75-minute first set, taking advantage of a third set point when Bertens found the net.

The Dutchwoman had beaten Caroline Wozniacki and Maria Sharapova in a sparkling week in the Spanish capital to reach her first premier mandatory final and recovered well from surrendering the first set to take the second.

She led by a break in the third but let her advantage slip and Kvitova broke twice in a row to take a 4-2 lead in the decider.

Bertens broke back to make it 4-3 but lost her next service game and Kvitova served out the final game to love, sealing victory when Bertens hit the tramlines with a backhand.

In doing so, she took her landmark third title, surpassing the two each won by Serena Williams and Simona Halep in Madrid, which established a women’s section in 2009.

“Everything what I had in my body, I just tried to put it out, even if it was very, very tough today,” Kvitova said.

“We both should be very proud of this beautiful final we played .”

“Every title feels great. Winning three times here in Madrid, it means something.”

THIEM TO MEET ZVEREV IN TITLE CLASH

Dominic Thiem followed up his sensational victory over world number one Rafael Nadal by easing past Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday to reach the Madrid Masters final.

The fifth-seeded Austrian, who ended Nadal’s 21-match and 50-set winning streak on clay Friday, needed just 85 minutes to dispose of his South African opponent, seeded sixth.

Thiem, the runner-up to Nadal in the 2017 Madrid final and still chasing a maiden Masters title, will face Alexander Zverev, the world number three from Germany, who beat Denis Shapovalov 6-4 6-1.

Thiem is playing in just his third tournament since a right ankle fracture suffered at Indian Wells while US Open runner-up Anderson was competing in his first semi-final at Masters level.