Kvitova forgets rankings, dimisses Kerber at Wuhan

WUHAN, China: Double Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova put aside thoughts of rankings to down newly crowned number one Angelique Kerber in an epic three sets at the Wuhan Open on Wednesday.

The US and Australian Open champion, playing her first tournament since ascending to number one, took the first set after an aggressive 22-point tie break.

Kvitova took an early lead in the second set, going 5-3 up, before a surge from the German brought them level.

But Kerber failed to capitalise on the gain, taking the two left-handers into a third set -- and a third hour of play.

The Olympic bronze medallist surged ahead in the final set, but Kerber denied her the first match point, pushing for another game -- and five match points -- before Kvitova was able to bag her place in the quarter finals.

Next round Kvitova will face Briton Johanna Konta, who boosted her chances of qualifying for her first WTA Finals when she beat eighth ranked Carla Suarez Navarro in another tight dual.

Meanwhile at the other end of the age scale, teenager Daria Kasatkina of Russia fell to 21-year-old American Madison Keys.

Keys will meet fourth seed Simona Halep in the last eight after she defeated Kazakh Yaroslava Shvedova, despite being knocked dizzy and forced to retire from a doubles match a day earlier.