Defending champion Kvitova talks up Serena

LONDON: Petra Kvitova is not the type to talk herself up even if she does arrive at Wimbledon as the defending champion.

Instead the powerful Czech second seed said World No 1 Serena Williams has a great chance to complete a calendar year grand slam this year, having already bagged the Australian Open and French Open titles.

“I think that Serena has really great chances to do it. I think she is really a big champion. She’s always trying to find a good form for the important points.

“We’ll see. I think that she’s really in the good way.”

No other player apart from Serena or sister Venus, who also has five Wimbledon titles, has retained the Wimbledon crown in the last 19 years, but Kvitova appears stronger mentally than when she stormed through the pack to win in 2011.

Kvitova faces big-hitting Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands in the first round tomorrow, when she hopes to have shaken off a cold that forced her to pull out of the Eastbourne championships last week. – Reuters