KVITOVA’S FAIRYTALE COMEBACK ENDS
Kvitova ends comeback with second-round loss
PETRA Kvitova said she was eagerly looking ahead to returning to Wimbledon after her fairytale French Open comeback ended in the second round. The Czech star lost 7-6 (7/5) 7-6 (7/5) to American qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands at Roland Garros yesterday in her first tournament since a horrifying knife attack at her home last December.
“It’s weird. I mean, I’m disappointed, for sure. I came here to win the matches,” Kvitova said.
“I’m not here to sit and talk with you guys, but – that’s nice, as well.
“But I really fought. I mean, after the match, I didn’t feel that bad as normally I probably do.
“I’m still happy I’m here and playing. The fairy tale ended.
“Now, in upcoming weeks, I think it will be business as usual.
“That’s what I’m looking forward to, just focusing on the tennis and everything I need to improve to my game.”
Kvitova, 27, defeated Julia Boserup in the Paris opening round, dropping to her knees in celebration before weeping at the net as her emotions took control.
And, although the two-time Wimbledon champion fell prematurely on her return, Kvitova said it was mission complete after overcoming severe injuries to her left (playing) hand suffered while fighting off a knife-wielding burglar.
“I didn’t really have expectations here. Just came to, you know, open my comeback, kind of,” she said.
“The mission is completed, which I’m very happy about and I’m happy that this all ended.
“I just will focus now on grass and for tennis again.”
She has yet to commit to any events ahead of Wimbledon, but admitted she was keen to return to a regular routine as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, reigning champion Garbine Muguruza survived a tough second-round challenge by Anett Kontaveit, and men’s title-holder Novak Djokovic stormed into the last 32 yesterday.
Muguruza’s patchy form this season included a loss to the world No 53 in Stuttgart, with the Spaniard in dire trouble again in Paris after falling a set and a break behind against the Estonian.
But the fourth seed recovered to claw out a 6-7 (4/7) 6-4 6-2 win and book a third-round clash with Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva.
Djokovic needed little over two hours to see off Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-1 6-4 6-3 as he bids to be the first man in the Open era to win each Grand Slam twice.
The world No 2 broke his 59thranked opponent six times to make it four wins in as many meetings with Sousa.
Djokovic goes on to face Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman for a place in the last 16.
Record nine-time champion Rafael Nadal marched into the French Open third round after crushing Dutchman Robin Haase 6-1 6-4 6-3.
The Spaniard is bidding to become the first man to win 10 titles at a single Grand Slam event.
Venus Williams shook off a slow start to ease into the third round with a 6-3 6-1 victory over Japan’s Kurumi Nara.