Comeback star Kvitova returns to site of most success
The Czech is a two-time Wimbledon champion.
It's been said already that the most important part of Petra Kvitova’s battle has already been won. The 27-year-old showed she can still play elite-level tennis less than six months after suffering a career-threatening knife attack.
Her courage and optimism have been a sentimental story to commence Wimbledon, but she might also still be the best player on grass.
Kvitova and Venus Williams are the only players in the draw to have won Wimbledon titles. The 27-year-old Kvitova won in 2011 and 2014, which sets up a three-year sequence to win her third Wimbledon trophy in 2017.
Kvitova is also the only player without the surname Williams to win multiple Wimbledon titles in the 21st century.
Her recent comeback to the tour in June has been to great success. She defeated Daria Gavrilova, Lucie Safarova and Kristina Mladenovic on her way to winning Birmingham. Most importantly, she's putting the horrific home robbery behind her, and focusing only on tennis.
Kvitova has also recaptured her mental belief on court, with reasonable expectations.
“I think you should stay low, as well, with your expectations about me,” Kvitova said before Wimbledon. “I’m not in as great form as I was in ’11 or ’14. It depends on everything, and in Birmingham I played better and better every round. Who knows how everything will be here? So I’m still down to earth. I’ll just play.”
With apologies to British contender Johanna Konta, the biggest worldwide support for the next two weeks at Wimbledon might follow Kvitova onto Centre Court.
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