Kvitova enters first final after knife attack

Czech Petra Kvitova took a big step forwards to convincing herself that she can make a full recovery when she reached the final of the Aegon Classic by outplaying her exhausted friend and Czech compatriot Lucie Safarova.

The twice former Wimbledon champion showed few signs of the appalling knife injuries to her playing hand in a thoroughly one-sided victory by 6-1 1-0 retired, which happened when Safarova, who had had two huge matches in the previous three days, pulled out with a thigh strain.

It is only Kvitova’s second tournament since the seven-month hole which was torn from her career, and this was only her sixth match, yet she has reached her first grass court final since her 2014 Wimbledon triumph.

Semi-finals victory

Kvitova had entered the semi-finals with a 6-4 7-6(5) win over France’s Kristina Mladenovic on Friday.

But American Coco Vandeweghe, who had looked in such strong form beating Johanna Konta in the previous round, had to retire with an ankle injury in her quarter-final against Spain’s Garbine Muguruza.

Seventh seed Kvitova, twice Wimbledon champion, is playing in her second tournament after a lengthy layoff with a hand injury, suffered during a knife attack at her home in December.

But she has shown at Edgbaston that she is building up her form nicely before her return to Wimbledon, where she triumphed in 2011 and 2014.

“Both of us play really fast on this surface, the grass suits her game as well, so it was about a few points here in three, one or two key breaks in the match,” Kvitova said.

It took a second-set tiebreak and one hour 43 minutes for Kvitova to secure the win which sets up a semi-final clash with compatriot Lucie Safarova.

Safarova came through a marathon battle with Australian Daria Gavrilova, triumphing 6-7(4) 6-3 7-6(5).