Petra Kvitová (Czech pronunciation: [ˈpɛtra ˈkvɪtovaː]; born 8 March 1990) is a professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. She has won five WTA singles titles. As of 4 July 2011, she is ranked World No. 7. Kvitová won the 2011 Wimbledon Championships singles title, becoming the first Grand Slam event winner born in the 1990s.
Petra Kvitová was born to Jiří Kvita and Pavla Kvitová in Bílovec, Czechoslovakia. Her father Jiří introduced her to tennis. During her childhood, she idolized Czech player Martina Navratilova. Kvitová trained in her hometown until age 16, and was then encouraged by an instructor to pursue a professional career.
In 2008, Kvitová qualified for her first WTA Tour Main Draw in the 2008 Open Gaz de France where she upset then world no. 30 Anabel Medina Garrigues 6–2 6–3, thus earning her first top 50 victory before losing to Elena Dementieva in the second round. At the 2008 Cellular South Cup, as a qualifier Kvitová earned one of the biggest wins of her career by upsetting former World No. 1 Venus Williams 2–6 6–4 6–3 and earning her first top 10 victory, before losing in the following round. She then lost in the first rounds of the 2008 Sony Ericsson Open and 2008 ECM Prague Open and the second round of the 2008 Internationaux de Strasbourg.
Kvitová started the year with a first-round loss in the 2009 Brisbane International. However she won her first career title in the 2009 Moorilla Hobart International defeating Alona Bondarenko, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Virginie Razzano and Iveta Benešová in the finals. She then suffered consecutive first-round loses in 2009 Australian Open, 2009 Open GDF Suez and the 2009 Dubai Tennis Championships.
She then reached the third round of 2009 BNP Paribas Open losing to eventual champion Vera Zvonareva 6–3 6–1. She again had consecutive first-round loses in the 2009 Sony Ericsson Open, 2009 Barcelona Ladies Open and 2009 Estoril Open. She then reached the second rounds of 2009 Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open, 2009 Swedish Open, 2009 ECM Prague Open, and 2009 Banka Koper Slovenia Open.
At the 2010 Australian Open she reached the second round before losing to eventual champion Serena Williams 6–2 6–1. At the 2010 Cellular South Cup, she reached the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Maria Sharapova 6–4 6–3. She then reached the second rounds of both the 2010 BNP Paribas Open and the 2010 Sony Ericsson Open.
At 2010 Wimbledon Championships, Kvitová defeated Sorana Cîrstea in the first round and then upset 23rd seed Zheng Jie 6–4, 2–6, 6–2 and 14th seed Victoria Azarenka 7–5, 6–0 on the way. She beat the 3rd seed Caroline Wozniacki in the 4th round, 6–2 6–0, to advance to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, where she beat Kaia Kanepi 4–6, 7–6, 8–6 after saving five match points and coming back from a double-break down (she was 4–0 down) in the third set.
She lost her first Grand Slam semifinal to then-World No. 1 and defending champion Serena Williams in straight sets, 7–6(5), 6–2. She was then guaranteed to reach the top 30 for the first time. She then lost five consecutive first rounds at the 2010 Banka Koper Slovenia Open, 2010 İstanbul Cup, 2010 e-Boks Danish Open, 2010 Rogers Cup, and 2010 Pilot Pen Tennis. She broke her six-match losing streak at the 2010 US Open, when she defeated Lucie Hradecká 6–4, 7–5 and Elena Baltacha 7–6(5), 6–3 before losing to eventual champion Kim Clijsters 6–3, 6–0 in the third round.
Kvitová started 2011 by winning her second career title at the 2011 Brisbane International by defeating Andrea Petkovic 6–1, 6–3 in the final and also earning wins over 3rd seed Nadia Petrova and 5th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. With the win, she achieved a career-high World ranking of 28.
Competing as the No. 25 seed at the singles of the 2011 Australian Open, Kvitová defeated Sally Peers 6–2, 6–4 in the first round and Anna Chakvetadze 6–3, 6–4 in the second round. She then defeated fifth seed and hometown favorite Samantha Stosur 7–6, 6–3 to advance to the fourth round where she defeated 22nd seed Flavia Pennetta 3–6, 6–3, 6–3 in a close three-setter. She then played World No. 2 Vera Zvonareva in the quarterfinals, where she lost 6–2, 6–4. Kvitová's strong run ensured that she would reach a career high ranking of World No. 18.
Kvitová won her first Grand Slam title as the 8th seed at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships. She defeated Alexa Glatch, Anne Keothavong, 29th seed Roberta Vinci, 19th seed Yanina Wickmayer, 32nd seed Tsvetana Pironkova, and 4th seed Victoria Azarenka on the way to the final, where she beat 5th seed Maria Sharapova in straight sets, 6–3, 6–4. She became the first left-handed player to win the title since Martina Navratilova in 1990, the first Czech player to win a Grand Slam singles title since Jana Novotna won Wimbledon in 1998, and the first Grand Slam tournament winner of either gender to be born in the 1990s.
Petra Kvitová Photos
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Petra Kvitová Photos
Petra Kvitová Photos
Petra Kvitová Photos
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