But the Aussie had more to worry about than just her opponent in the tough three-setter.
Watch Tennis with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. Live Coverage of ATP + WTA Tour Tournaments including Every Finals Match. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >TV viewers have been complaining about the shadows on court making it difficult to see the action and on Wednesday Barty had her own battles with the sun. Late in the first set she was locked in an engrossing rally, both players being moved all around the court, as they tried to win the point. Forced to run back and chase a lob to the baseline, Kvitova put up a Hail Mary high into the Madrid sky.
Tennis by James Matthey 4th May 2021 6:17 AM Ash Barty has continued her incredible winning streak on clay by beating Iga Swiatek in the third round of the Madrid Open this morning. The Aussie star is now unbeaten across 14 matches on clay, stretching back to her 2019 triumph at the French Open, and is 9-0 against top 20 opponents this year. She has more wins than any woman on tour this season, moving to 23-3.
Watch Tennis with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. Live Coverage of ATP + WTA Tour Tournaments including Every Finals Match. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >In a battle of the past two Roland Garros champions - teenager Swiatek won the title last year - Barty slumped to 0-3 in the first set but fought back to secure an engrossing 7-5 6-4 victory in the Spanish capital.
Red-hot Barty maintains the rage dailymercury.com.au - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailymercury.com.au Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.