Paris (AP) Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova reached the French Open quarterfinals for the first time in eight years by beating Zhang Shuai 6-2, 6-4. The seventh-seeded Czech player lost her only semifinal match at Roland Garros in 2012.
Zhang had a medical timeout while trailing 5-2 in the first set. Kvitova sat waiting wrapped in a pink coat to combat the chilly conditions on Court Philippe Chatrier. She then did some leg exercises to keep warm.
The 30-year-old Kvitova will next face Laura Siegemund. The unseeded German beat Paula Badosa 7-5, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals at a major tournament for the first time. There will still be crowds for the final week of French Open after Paris police decided not to reduce the limit of 1,000 spectators per day.
Paris police chief Didier Lallement said bars in Paris will close for two weeks from Tuesday as part of new measures to slow coronavirus infections. But he maintained the current limit of 1,000 spectators at sports events in Paris and specifically noted the clay-court tournament at Roland Garros.
The decision will come as a relief to players. Many have said how much they appreciate having spectators even in much smaller numbers than normal. (AP) .
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