Petra Kvitova will reluctantly return to the spotlight in the Wimbledon final against Eugenie Bouchard on Saturday as the shy Czech tries to emulate her breakthrough triumph on Centre Court.
When Kvitova surprisingly defeated Maria Sharapova to win her first Grand Slam title in the 2011 Wimbledon final, it was expected to herald the start of a dominant period for the youngster, whose aggressive style seemed perfectly suited to the demands of the modern power game.
But Kvitova’s no-nonsense on-court exterior hides a her true personality, which is far more quiet and reserved, and as a result she has been engaged in a long battle to deal with the harsh glare of the sporting spotlight.
From being a relatively anonymous figure on the women’s tour, Kvitova’s Wimbledon victory brought her uncomfortable and unwanted scrutiny from the world’s media and fans intrigued by her sudden rise to prominence.
It was a transition that has proved extremely difficult for Kvitova and her form suffered as a result.
“It was really a point when everything changed in my life after Wimbledon,” she said.
“A lot of things changed in my life. I’m not too much of a private person now. Of course the media are interested in everything, so that’s not easy as well. I’m still living with the pressure, that’s what I really need to handle.”
Now 24, she has grown slightly more comfortable with the trappings of success, swapping the humble Skoda she drove when she won Wimbledon for a more sleek BMW and moving to the millionaire’s playground of Monaco.
And back on her favourite grass courts at Wimbledon, her form has finally returned over the last two weeks.
Even a semi-final meeting with her compatriot and close friend Lucie Safarova couldn’t distract Kvitova from her mission to reach a second Grand Slam final.
And if she does lift the Venus Rosewater dish again, Wimbledon will be the perfect location to show she has grown up at last.
“It’s Wimbledon,” she said. “It’s the best tournament in the world for me. This is what makes tennis special.”
Djokovic reaches third Wimbledon final
Novak Djokovic moved a step closer to his second Wimbledon title as the top seed booked his third appearance in the final with a gritty 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (9/7) victory over Grigor Dimitrov on Friday.
Djokovic, who won the Wimbledon title in 2011, rarely hit peak form in a patchy semi-final on Centre Court, but showed all his battling qualities to overcome the Bulgarian 11th seed in a three hour and two minute war of attrition.
World number two Djokovic has now won six of his last seven Grand Slam semi-finals and the Serb will reclaim top spot in the rankings from Rafael Nadal for the first time since September 2013 if he lifts the trophy on Sunday.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 5th, 2014.
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