Anett Kontaveit seems to have developed a habit of winning games in a jiffy.
The Estonian first defeated Australian Open runner-up Jennifer Brady 6-1, 6-2 in 56 minutes in the first round on Tuesday and on Wednesday, she defeated Angelique Kerber 6-1, 6-4 in yet another sub-hour encounter to enter quarter-finals of the Qatar Total Open at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.
“I don’t think you really think about or expect if it’s going to be a fast match or a long match. But I feel I’m playing good tennis. I was happy with the way I played today and happy with the way I served out the match, as well,” Kontaveit said.
Kontaveit wrapped up the first set on Wednesday in 23 minutes after breaking Kerber’s serve twice. The German, ranked two places behind the Estonian, managed to win only one game.
Set two started in a similar way, with Kontaveit soon 4-1 up until Kerber started to fight back, breaking Kontaveit’s service unexpectedly and soon finding herself just a game behind at 5-4. Kontaveit, however, held her serve in the tenth game, and with the set and the match.
Kontaveit took 77.4 percent of her first service points and won 50 percent of her second serves – the corresponding figures for Kerber were 56.3 percent and 31.3 percent, respectively.
Kerber converted only one break point, compared with Kontaveit, who managed four out of five.
This was Kontaveit’s fourth victory over Kerber in five matches, with the latter’s sole victory in Cincinnati in 2019.
The 25-year-old, who reached the Australian Open third round before losing to American Shelby Rogers in the third round, is off to a very good start this season. She also reached the Grampians Trophy final in Melbourne in the first week of February, but the final was not held due to a Covid-19 case emerging at a tournament quarantine hotel.
“I think I have put in good work in the offseason, and I feel like I have been playing confidently and positively this week. I think, you know, it’s been working out these two matches,” she said.
Talking about facing tougher opponents as the tournament progresses, she said there is no pressure on her.
“I think the tournament is very strong, so I don’t feel like there is any pressure on me at all. I can just enjoy being out here and playing good tennis,” the World No. 24 said.
“Definitely I have to take it match by match. I feel confident with the way I have been playing, and of course I want to do well and every time I step on the court I want to win,” she said.
Kontaveit, whose previous best result in Doha was reaching the second rounds in 2019 and 2020, will meet World No. 10 Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova in the quarter-finals.
