Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova reaches New Haven semis

New Haven: Reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA New Haven hardcourt tournament Thursday with a 6-4, 6-1 triumph over Czech compatriot Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.

Fourth-ranked Kvitova next will face Australia`s Samantha Stosur, who ousted Belgium`s Kirsten Flipkens 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the final warm-up event for the US Open, which begins Monday. Second seed Kvitova, the 2012 New Haven winner who lost to Simona Halep in last year`s final, will be the third seed at the year`s last Grand Slam event and will open her Flushing Meadows fortnight next week against France`s 73rd-ranked Kristina Mladenovic. Kvitova, a 24-year-old left-hander, won their first meeting in 2008 at Paris but lost to Mladenovic, 21, last year in Paris. Slovakia`s Magdalena Rybarikova defeated American Alison Riske 7-5, 0-6, 6-4 to book a semi-final berth against Italy`s Camila Giorgi, who defeated Spain`s Garbine Muguruza 6-4, 6-7 (4/7) 6-2. Giorgi ousted four-time New Haven champion Caroline Wozniacki, the Danish fourth seed and former world number one, in the second round.