Petra Kvitova loses to qualifier in Sydney semis

Sydney: Second-seeded Petra Kvitova suffered an upset 6-4, 6-3 loss to Bulgarian qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova in the semi-finals of the Sydney International on Thursday.

Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, was broken twice in the first set and four times in the second against Pironkova, who finished last season ranked No. 108. "First time into a WTA final - it's an amazing feeling," said the 26-year-old Pironkova. "I've been waiting for this for a long time."

With qualifiers and main draw, she has now won seven consecutive matches in Sydney and is aiming for No. 8 in the final, where she'll meet either fifth-seeded Angelique Kerber or American Madison Keys.