Tearful Kvitova prevails
Knife attack no deterrent
PETRA Kvitova swept to a tearful French Open victory yesterday in her first match since surviving a horrifying knife attack which almost ended her career.
The two-time Wimbledon champion downed outclassed Julia Boserup of the United States 6-3, 6-2, falling to her knees in celebration before weeping at the net.
“I’m really glad to have made the decision to play here,” said 27-year-old Kvitova, who was seriously hurt when she tackled an armed intruder at her home in the eastern Czech town of Prostejov in December.
“Thank you for everything, you helped me through this difficult time.
“I won the match today but I knew I had already won,” she added in reference to the initial nightmare scenario in which she feared she’d lose the fingers on her left playing hand.
Kvitova, the 15th seed and a semifinalist in Roland Garros in 2012, fired nine aces and 31 winners past Boserup.
Czech star Kvitova will face Bethanie Mattek-Sands or Evgeniya Rodina in the next round.
Timea Bacsinszky, the Swiss 30th seed who made the semifinals two years ago, was also an early winner, seeing off Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-1, 6-2.
Olympic champion Monica Puig sent Italian Roberta Vinci to her 10th first round loss in 13 visits to Paris, winning 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
Serena Williams may be missing from this year’s French Open, but big sister Venus is still going strong and marked her Roland Garros 20th anniversary yesterday.
Three weeks shy of her 37th birthday, the American star, who made her debut in the French capital in 1997, kicked off her latest campaign against China’s Wang Qiang.
Williams, seeded 10, has played every year since 1997 with the exception of 2011 and despite her senior citizen status, she is still a contender at the Slams as her run to the Australian Open final in January proved. — AFP