Beijing, China, 4 October 2019 | Matt Trollope

Ash Barty has recovered to score a big win at the China Open, defeating Petra Kvitova in three sets to advance to the semifinals.

After dropping the first set and staring down five break points in the second set, Barty stormed back to win 4-6 6-4 6-3 in a high-quality, two-hour battle.

Barty lost her first four career meetings with Kvitova but has now won the past two, including at the same stage of the Miami Open in March – a tournament she went on to win.

She is the first Australian woman through to the semifinals in Beijing – one of the biggest tournaments on tour outside of the four Grand Slams – since Sam Stosur in 2014. Daria Gavrilova reached the quarterfinals in 2016.

Her next opponent will be either Elina Svitolina or Kiki Bertens.

https://twitter.com/WTA/status/1180012612706136064?s=20

“From my opinion, that was one of the highest quality matches I played all year. Petra always has a way of bringing out the best in me, she really does,” Barty said.

“From both of us, I think the level was incredible. Regardless of winning or losing, I think I’d be sitting here with the exact same perspective, kind of the same feeling of the match afterwards.”

The first set appeared evenly match until Kvitova broke Barty in the fifth game – and the Czech would not relinquish her advantage.

She continually overwhelmed the Australian with powerful serving and her pace of shot from the back of the court, and did not allow Barty the space or the time to construct points.

In the second set Kvitova reached 15-40 in the fifth game and held another two break points in the seventh game, which if converted would have put her in a commanding position.

Yet Barty did not fold, producing an exceptional running backhand passing shot crosscourt to hold for 4-3.

The world No.1 neutralised Kvitova’s serve brilliantly, getting 96 per cent of her returns in play in the second set.

In the 10th game, she brought up set point with a lunging forehand volley winner before flummoxing Kvitova with a defensive lob to send the match to a decider.

✌️ All tied up! @ashbar96 fires back against Kvitova to win second set, 4-6,6-4#ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/YL2SRd0y4e

— WTA (@WTA) October 4, 2019

And while Kvitova broke immediately in set three, Barty broke straight back with an off-forehand winner to level scores at 1-1.

The pivotal moment came in the eighth game, an eight-minute affair during which Kvitova three times held game point, but could not convert.

Barty eventually broke serve, and despite missing three match points from 40-0 up in the final game, closed it out on her fourth with a forehand winner.

“I think I didn’t do a hell of a lot wrong in the first set. Even the game I got broken, I didn’t even really give a couple of cheapies. It was Petra doing Petra things,” Barty observed.

“Her level was outstanding today, in particular in the first couple of sets. She served very well, got a lot of cheap points. I wasn’t able to do that. She was able to take my spots away from me.

“I think in the second set there, after a quick chat with Tyz, it was just a little bit of a change of intent, I suppose. Running the gauntlet, running the risk a little bit of knowing if I’m trying to get up and after my serve, she may have a few more looks at second. That’s always a challenge, trying to be assertive and get free points without giving Petra a bunch of looks at second serves.

“I think I was able to do that really well, look after my service games well for pretty much all, bar that one that I got broken in the first and in the third.”