By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday July 8, 2023
Don't look now, but two-time Wimbledon champion is in position to make a big impact on the draw at SW19.
Photo Source: Rob Newell/Getty
After reaching at least the quarterfinals in five straight Wimbledon appearances from 2010 to 2014, and famously raising the Venus Rosewater Dish in 2011 and 2014, Petra Kvitova’s Wimbledon fortunes have taken a turn for the worse.
Since that 2014 title, which saw her absolutely scorch then “it” girl Genie Bouchard in the final, Kvitova has not played another Wimbledon quarterfinal. Seven appearances, a bevy of disappointment, and the worry that it may never happen again for the legendary Czech southpaw.
Here comes another chance, however…
Kvitova edged out Serbian qualifier Natalija Stevanovic, 6-3, 7-5 on No.2 Court to book a trip to the round of 16 on Saturday at Wimbledon. The Czech, a 31-time titlist on the WTA Tour, certainly has the game to continue disrupting the field, but her challenge will be stiffer when she faces either Ons Jabeur or Bianca Andreescu next.
Still, it’s hard to consider Kvitova a longshot when we consider her grass pedigree – she improved to 74-22 lifetime on the surface with her win today – and her ability to tree with the best of them. When Kvitova is firing on all cylinders, opponents have to sit back and wait, hoping that she starts missing. It serves the 33-year-old Czech well when she’s connecting the dots and dialed in with her uber aggressive game, but she can quickly go off the rails and has done so on numerous occasions at Wimbledon in recent years.
Could this year be different? Could it be another Kvitova hurrah at the All England Club?
The No.9 seed will be served better by not overthinking her chances. Just let the fur fly, like she did today as she rocked 40 winners to just eight for her unsuspecting opponent
It hasn't always been easy for Kvitova at Wimbledon of late, whether it be pressure, injuries or form. There was a first-round loss to Aliaksandra Sasnovich in 2018, which featured a third-set bagel, and another in 2021, to Sloane Stephens. Add in another pair of second-round losses, in 2016 (Makarova) and 2017 (Brengle), and we can see that the drought is real.
In between there was tragedy and career turmoil -- she was attacked by a knife-wielding burglar in December of 2016 and suffered major lacerations to her left hand. The long road back was arduous, on many levels for the Czech champion.
"I always knew I am a fighter on the court but I never really knew that I am an even bigger fighter off the court," the told BBC Sport in the aftermath. For a while her career was in jeapardy. She underwent four-hour on her left hand, hoping for the best, but knowing that there would always be scar tissue on many levels.
Nearly seven years later, we don't talk about the incident very much, but most know it is part of Kvitova's lore, another element of proof in her character, her strength and the incredible humanity that has endeared her to fans for over a decade.
The scars, we know, are real.
But the talent is also real, and with Kvitova in the midst of a stellar season that has seen her claim titles at Miami and Eastbourne, she's not just an aging legend with a brilliant past, she's also an in-form player that has proven she can match up with -- and defeat -- virtually any player on tour.
As the second week looms, it's easy to envisage a scenario that includes Kvitova alive in the draw through the end of next week. Quarterfinal? Semifinal? Final? When you're blessed with one of the most menacing grass-court games that the sport has seen since the Williams sisters took to Wimbledon, you have to pay attention... and be ready to let the chips fall wher they may.