Petra Kvitova beats Danielle Collins to reach Australian Open final

"I believe she played unbelievable match".

In Saturday's final, Kvitova will face reigning US Open champion Naomi Osaka, who defeated 2016 US Open runner-up Karolina Pliskova, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, in the other women's semifinal.

In Australian Open 2019, Kvitová has displayed tremendous form.

Against Collins, a two-time NCAA champion at the University of Virginia who was 0-5 at major tournaments until last week, Kvitova was more aggressive throughout, mixing big lefty forehands and well-timed pushes forward to the tune of a 30-9 edge in total winners.

Pliskova admitted her remarkable comeback against Serena Williams on Wednesday may have taken its toll, saying: "It's not only that the match yesterday was tough, but also it was emotionally tough, too. I was so scared serving second serves, I was like "oh, my god, please" and somehow I made it so I guess that's experience". "You just have to know what you're doing - and she does".

It loomed for the merest of moments as a potential all-Czech final as Karolina Pliskova threatened to back up from her heroics last night in defeating Serena Williams during a pulsating second set in which she was almost flawless, levelling the ledger against Naomi Osaka.

Osaka converted her only breakpoint opportunity in the decider while her opponent wasted four and the 21-year-old made it to her second straight Grand Slam final with her 15th ace to seal the match in an hour and 53 minutes.

"A few weeks ago when I was in Brisbane. having to take a very tough decision for me not to play there".

Asked about her feelings when Pliskova won the second set, Osaka said: "I kind of expected it a little because I've played her so many times and she has beaten me more than I've beaten her". "I like to play indoors". The victor will rise to the top of the WTA rankings for the first time; Osaka is now No. 4, Kvitova is No. 6.

She said her win at Flushing Meadows helped settle her nerves against the never-say-die Czech. She dominated the tiebreaker and the second set.

Osaka accumulated a 56-20 advantage in winners - and held on when it all could have slipped away.

She produced a bold performance from the start against the big-hitting Pliskova, hitting 16 winners and breaking serve twice on her way to clinching the opening set in 32 minutes. Over the last 12 months on hard court, Osaka has held serve nearly 5% more than Pliskova - in fact Osaka's nearly 80% hold percentage is world class - and she has around a 4% edge on return. That stretch began a nine-point, three-game run for Osaka, and she was on her way. She would face one last break point at 4-3, but saved it with a 108 miles per hour (174 kph) ace.