Kvitova can’t pull rank on Brengle

LONDON — Madison Brengle knew Petra Kvitova was a two-time Wimbledon champion and a popular pick to win the title again this year.

Brengle also was aware that she herself never had won so much as one maindraw match at the All England Club until this week.

Winning just one game was the 95th-ranked Brengle’s focus when she began playing Wednesday on Court No. 2. But she did much more, stunning the 11th-seeded Kvitova 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 to reach the third round.

The reason for Brengle’s preoccupation with taking one game? In her Wimbledon debut in 2015, she lost to Venus Williams 6-0, 6-0.

“That’s always in my head when I’m out here,” Brengle said. “That was really tough.”

She didn’t need to stress about a shutout for long — Brengle broke the strongserving Kvitova to take the very first game.

“Then I could relax,” Brengle said with a smile. “Trust me, an ‘0-and-0’ stays with you.”

Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, had been favored by some British bookmakers to lift the trophy in two weeks despite competing in only her third tournament since she was attacked by a knifewielding intruder at her home in the Czech Republic in December. Kvitova needed surgery on her left hand, the one she uses to hold a racket.

Still without full strength in that hand, Kvitova returned at the French Open in May, losing in the second round. But then she won a grass-court title at Birmingham in June.

“I feel just really empty right now” she said.

Kvitova was one of a half-dozen seeded women to lose on Day 3, a group that also included No. 15 Elina Vesnina, No. 17 Madison Keys, No. 18 Anastasija Sevastova, No. 22 Barbora Strycova and No. 25 Carla Suarez Navarro.

The action was more straightforward in the men’s draw, with straightset victories by defending champion Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal, who has won the last 26 Grand Slam sets he has played.