SYDNEY: Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will play in the final of the Sydney International after ending Tsvetana Pironkova’s incredible run at the tournament on Thursday.

The Czech second seed proved too strong for the plucky Bulgarian defending champion, winning their semifinal 7-5, 6-1.

Kvitova ended Pironkova’s quest for a 15th straight win at the Sydney tournament after the Bulgarian came through the qualifying rounds to win the tournament in 2014 and again had to qualify for the main draw this year.

After a stiff contest in the opening set the world No.4 finished off Pironkova with the loss of just one game in the second set.

Kvitova set up an all-Czech final with Karolina Pliskova, who was a straight sets winner in the other semifinal over German fifth seed Angelique Kerber.

After a slow start that included losing her opening service game, Kvitova went to a new level and looks in good shape for next week’s Australian Open in Melbourne.

Meanwhile, a sapping schedule finally caught up with Kerber.

World No.22 Pliskova enjoyed a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 win over last year’s finalist.

It had been a tough few days for the German fifth seed and world No.9 who had to endure three three-set matches, including a WTA record late local time finish at 3.10am on Wednesday after rain delays disrupted the tournament schedule.

Kerber had little more to offer and was dispatched in just 55 minutes by Pliskova.

“I been playing the whole week really well,” Pliskova said.

“I won some good matches. Last week as well in Brisbane I had few good matches, so I’m feeling well and happy to play good before Melbourne.

“I was surprised that it was 6-3, 6-2. I played her a few times and it was always a close match.

“But I started to play really fast, pushing her and dictating the game a little bit and my serve was working today as well, so maybe that’s the difference between us.”

Del Potro bows out

Defending champion Juan Martin del Potro was beaten in the quarterfinals of losing 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) to Kazakhstan qualifier Mikhail Kukushkin.

Del Potro, the 2009 US Open champion returning from an 11-month injury layoff, needed a wild-card entry to get into the main draw because his world ranking had dropped to 338.

“I got lucky playing three matches in this tournament against good players,” del Potro said. “I’m here, I’m still alive. I feel tired, but OK.”

Kukushkin will next play Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer, who beat Julien Benneteau of France 6-3, 7-6 (4).

At the Heineken Open in Auckland, New Zealand, fourth-seeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa became the only seeded player to reach the semifinals when he beat American Steve Johnson 6-4, 7-6 (8) in a match that pivoted on a line call in the second-set tiebreak.

Johnson hit a backhand passing shot at 7-7 that seemed to clip the line, giving him the chance to serve for the set. But the shot was called out, the point went to Anderson and he was able to clinch the set and match, having previously spurned the opportunity when serving for it at 5-4.

“That was a real high-quality match,” Anderson said. “I played really well from the beginning.”

Anderson will play Jiri Vesely after the Czech qualifier beat American Donald Young 6-2, 6-3 to reach an ATP Tour semifinal for the first time.

Lucky loser Lucas Pouille of France beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas of Spain 6-3, 6-2 and Adrian Mannarino of France beat another lucky loser, Alejandro Falla of Colombia, 6-3, 6-1 to set up the other semifinal.

At the rain-affected Hobart International, Britain’s Heather Watson advanced to the semifinals with a 7-6 (0), 6-2 win over ninth-seeded Roberta Vinci of Italy.

American Alison Riske also won her quarterfinal, beating Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan 6-3, 6-0.

In a second-round match, Karin Knapp of Italy defeated top-seeded Casey Dellacqua of Australia, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3.