The man who stabbed Petra Kvitova in a botched burglary in 2016 has been sentenced to eight years in prison.

33-year-old Radim Zondra was convicted by a regional court in Brno, Czech Republic, of causing Kvitova serious bodily harm.

Kvitova, who testified against Zondra in February via video feed to avoid facing the subject, was informed about the sentence, and her spokesman Karel Tejkal said she "respects the ruling of an independent court."

"She's satisfied with the verdict because she identified the convicted person as the attacker," Tejkal said, according to the Associated Press.



Kvitova’s testimony was key to the prosecution.

Kvitova said the suspect, who entered her apartment after claiming to be there to inspect the boiler, grabbed her from behind and put a knife to her throat. When she grabbed the knife with both hands, the left hand was injured.

Kvitova, who suffered severe lacerations to the digits of her left hand and needed career-saving surgery to repair damaged tendons and nerves in the hand, says that she found herself lying on the floor with blood everywhere, as she screamed. She later offered the man money and he took the equivalent of $440 and left.

Zondra can appeal and so can the prosecution. He is currently in jail for another crime.

Kvitova returned to the game in May of 2017 and since then has climbed back to the top of tennis, becoming a true inspirational figure of the sport. She won five titles last season and began 2019 by reaching the final of the Australian Open after claiming the Sydney title.