(Reuters) – Karolina Pliskova came out on top in an all Czech showdown at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara, Mexico on Sunday, storming back to stun compatriot Barbora Krejcikova 0-6 6-4 6-4 and keep her semi-final hopes alive.
Down a set and a break Pliskova’s chances of reaching the last four for a fourth consecutive year appeared over but gave herself a chance moving to the top of the Teotihuacan Group with a record of 2-1.
Second seeded Krejcikova sits bottom of the group with a mark of 0-3 and is eliminated.
Unbeaten Anett Kontaveit (2-0) and Garbine Muguruza (1-1) clash later on Sunday.
“The first game was super long and I some how lost my focus and of course I was a bit nervous to play a Czech woman,” said Pliskova. “It was a big match because I knew I had to win to have a chance to go out of the group and I’m just super excited I found a way.
“It wasn’t easy at all, at some point I thought it is almost over in the second when she broke me to go up 4-2.
“I am proud that I kind of stayed there and fight for it.”
The WTA Finals divides the top eight players into two groups of four, with each player competing in three matches. The top two from each group advance to the semi-finals.
Having never taken a set off Pliskova in two career meetings, Krejcikova quickly took care of that little bit of business with the French Open champion steamrolling through the opener in just 26 minutes.
It marked the second consecutive set that Pliskova had surrendered 6-0 after having lost 6-4 6-0 to Kontaveit in her previous group match.
There were no bright spots for Pliskova in a horrific opening set with the third seed broken three times, committing 12 unforced errors and hitting just two winners.
The former-world number one steadied herself in the second but still found herself in a hole when Krejcikova grabbed an early break on her way to a 4-2 lead.
With her opponent on the ropes Krejcikova could not deliver the knockout blow as Pliskova dug deep sweeping the next four games to level the contest.
The third set was the tight affair one might have expected from the second and third seeds, Pliskova securing the set’s only break to clinch the match.
The WTA Tour’s top server Pliskova hammered down 11 aces but offset that effort with 12 double faults.
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto. Editing by Christian Radnedge)
