BRISBANE, Australia -- German Andrea Petkovic and Czech Petra Kvitova will square off in Saturday's all-unseeded final at the WTA's season-opening Brisbane International tennis event.
Petkovic toppled fourth-seeded French slugger Marion Bartoli 6-4, 6-2, while Kvitova cut down fifth-seeded Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in Friday's semifinal action at Queensland Tennis Centre. The former Wimbledon finalist Bartoli was a runner-up here in Brisbane two years ago.
The 23-year-old Petkovic, a native of the former Yugoslavia, will appear in her third career final, seeking a second title. The world No. 32 was a champion in Bad Gastein in 2009 and a runner-up in Den Bosch last season.
The 20-year-old Kvitova, a surprise Wimbledon semifinalist last year, will also appear in her third career final, and seek a second title. The 34th-ranked lefthander titled in Hobart and was a runner-up in Linz in 2009.
Petkovic and Kvitova have split four career matchups, with the German winning their last two meetings.
The winner of this hardcourt Australian Open tuneup will collect $37,000.
