SYDNEY — Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova beat her Czech Fed Cup teammate Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6) to win the Sydney International women's singles title Friday. In the men's semifinals, Viktor Troicki of Serbia and Mikhail Kukushkin advanced to Sunday's final. Troicki beat Gilles Muller 6-2, 6-4 and Kukushkin defeated Leonardo Mayer of Argentina 6-4, 6-4. Earlier, Alexandr Dolgopolov retired injured from the Kooyong exhibition tournament in Melbourne with a right-knee injury, handing Spain's Fernando Verdasco the title and placing the Ukrainian player's Australian Open appearance in doubt. Dolgopolov, seeded 21st at the Australian Open that begins Monday, lost the opening set 7-6 (3) before calling for medical staff because of the injury, and saying he could not continue. The Ukrainian is scheduled to play Paolo Lorenzi of Italy in the first round of the Australian Open. The 26-year-old Dolgopolov said the injury felt the same as the one he sustained in July playing in Hamburg, Germany, which required surgery and 10 weeks off the tour. In a final round-robin match at Kooyong, Richard Gasquet of France beat Kei Nishikori of Japan 7-6 (4), 7-6 (6). Czech qualifier Jiri Vesely beat South African Kevin Anderson 6-4, 7-6 (4) Friday to reach the final of the Heineken Open at Auckland, New Zealand. Vesely will face France's Adrian Mannarino in Saturday's final. Mannarino beat compatriot Lucas Pouille, a lucky loser from the qualifying draw, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. In the WTA event at Hobart, England's Heather Watson advanced to the final with a 6-3, 7-5 win over Alison Riske of the United States. She'll play American Madison Brengle, who beat Kurumi Nara of Japan 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. “As far as preparation goes it's brilliant for me,” Watson said. “I've got a lot of confidence from these wins.” — Agencies
