With her 6-3, 6-3 quarterfinal victory over Lucie Safarova in New Haven, Petra Kvitova has clinched the Emirates Airline U.S. Open Series points race and will now compete for the largest payout in tennis history at the 2012 U.S. Open —$2.9 million ($1.9 million for winning the U.S. Open, and a $1 million bonus for winning the U.S. Open as Emirates Airline U.S. Open Series champion).
Kvitova is currently tied with Li Na atop the standings with 170 points, but holds the head-to-head series tiebreaker with her victory over Li in the Montreal final.
“I don’t care about the money,” Kvitova told reporters. “I’m really proud that I’m champ. But, I mean, the money is not the important thing in the world and in the life. So I’m so glad that I played a lot of matches, good matches. I have great results. I’m here in the semifinal. That’s important for me to have some confidence for the U.S. Open.”
The men’s winner of the Emirates Airline US Open Series has yet to be determined. Sam Querrey is currently in the semis of the Winston-Salem Open and is the only player that can overtake standings leader Novak Djokovic, but he must win the title to do so. Djokovic won the title in Toronto and reached the final of Cincinnati.