WUHAN: Angelique Kerber suffered her first defeat as world number one when Petra Kvitova beat her 6-7 (10-12), 7-5, 6-4 in a marathon third- round match at the Wuhan Open in China on Wednesday.

German top seed Kerber saved three set points before a forehand error from Czech Kvitova handed the US Open champion a tense first-set tiebreak.

But Kvitova, showing the battling qualities that have brought her two Wimbledon titles, fought back to force a decider.

Kvitova, seeded 14th, broke Kerber early in the third set to lead 4-2 and despite struggling with cramp, she held her nerve to convert her seventh match point after three hours and 20 minutes on court.

“At the end I think there is no loser. I did everything today. I was fighting until the end,” Kerber told reporters.

Kerber replaced Serena Williams atop the rankings with her run to the US Open title, and took time off before coming to China to start her Asian swing in Wuhan, where she had a bye in the first round.

Kvitova last beat Kerber in the 2014 Fed Cup final, and had since lost to the German three times, including in the US Open fourth round.

In the quarter-finals, Kvitova will face Johanna Konta of Britain, who beat seventh-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 7-5, 7-6 (8-6).

Konta saved three set points in a marathon ninth game, and recovered from 6-3 down in the tiebreak.

Svetlana Kuznetsova ousted defending champion Venus Williams 6-2, 6-2.

Kuznetsova dominated Venus from the outset, breaking the American five times. She improved to 5-4 against Venus, who struggled with her serve in the gusty conditions and had seven double faults.

“I don’t think Venus played her best game. But I’ve been confident and I’ve been playing well,” Kuznetsova said. “I didn’t use a couple of my chances in the second set but I still could finish it 6-2.”

Kuznetsova next plays third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, who beat Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-2.

Simona Halep of Romania also advanced, beating Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan 6-3, 6-3.

Halep, showing no sign of the hamstring injury that ruled her out of Tokyo last week, will face Madison Keys of the United States in the quarters.

Keys beat Russian qualifier Daria Kasatkina 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

Published in Dawn September 29th, 2016