Last year, I was grieving during Wimbledon because my favorite female player of all-time, Justine Henin, lost in the fourth round to big rival Kim Clijsters. There she also fell on the court, and the injury would eventually end her career on January 26, 2011.
Plus, my man Roger Federer lost in the quarterfinals to another man of mine, Tomas Berdych, who would reach the final before losing to Rafa Nadal.
But there were two players I kept my eyes on.
One of them was Tsvetana Pironkova. She defeated the Queen of Grass, Venus Williams, in the quarterfinals. At the time, nobody expected someone not named Serena Jameka to beat Queen Venus at Wimbledon.
Another one was Petra Kvitova, a lefty from the Czech Republic, a country that has produced grass court rulers such as Martina Navratilova and Jana Novotna in the past.
I wanted those two to meet in the final, yeah, after heartbreaking losses of my favorite players I wanted to see a totally crazy final. Even though I knew it was completely impossible.
Pironkova surrendered to Russia's Vera Zvonareva, at the time ranked No. 20-something, but her final showings at Wimbledon and the US Open that year lifted her up to the Top 3 in the WTA ranking.
Kvitova lost to eventual champion, Serena Williams.
And the latter loser is the main topic of this post.
Petra Kvitova, 21, was ranked No. 80-something. Her semifinals showing at Wimbledon amazed me, but at the time I told myself,
"There's no way this lady's gonna win a Grand Slam anytime soon. She has a great game but for a Slam she has to wait."
I thought my expectation was about to be true, because then Petra--I prefer to call her by her first name--lost five consecutive matches in early rounds of tournaments. "Okay, she is okay, I like her game, but apparently she doesn't have what it takes to win a Slam soon."
Months later, she slowly told me what an idiot I was.
In January she won the Brisbane International, defeating--perhaps the funniest player ever in the history of funny tennis players--Andrea Petkovic. Then she beat reigning Australian Open Champion Kim Clijsters in the final of Open GDF Suez in Paris, whose semifinal win gave her the No. 1 ranking for one week (pity because I certainly would rather see her as the World No. 1, than the current World No. 1). She entered the Top 20, and I liked her game more and more after that, but I still didn't see her as a Grand Slam champion anytime soon.
Then came the claycourt season.
In Madrid--the most prestigious women's claycourt tournament after Roland Garros--she reached the final, and there she beat one of this year's best players, Vika Azarenka. She reached the Top 10, and then I said to myself, "How on Earth could I be so idiotic? This lady has what it takes to win a Slam! She'll go far at Roland Garros!"
She was one of the favorites to win Roland Garros--along with Vika, Fran Schiavone, Maria Sharapova, and JuliaGorgeous Goerges. Azarenka had played superb during the claycourt season, Fran was the defending champion, Maria won Rome, and Goerges won Stuttgart and also reached the semifinals in Madrid, losing to Vika.
I also expected her to go far, at least the semifinals. But...well, she didn't even reach the quarterfinals. She lost in the fourth round to eventual (surprising) champion, Li Na, despite winning the first set.
Then came the grasscourt season. Grasscourt is, no doubt, Petra's favorite surface. She played a warmup tournament in Eastbourne and reached the final, but she lost to Marion Bartoli--wasn't surprising, I mean they played the semifinals only a few hours before the final!
Then came Wimbledon with all its glory.
The defending champion came back from a very bad injury, and so did the Queen of Grass. They were heavy favorites, of course. Maria Sharapova who had played better than ever since her shoulder injury was also expected to go far. Vera Zvonareva was, too, because she was the runner-up last year. The World No. 1...well, was seeking a Grand Slam she had 'longed' for. She managed to record some good wins in early rounds.
In the first four matches, Petra didn't lose a set--she even fed a bagel to former US Open semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer in the fourth round. In the quarterfinals, she was drawn against fellow last year's semifinalist, Tsvetana Pironkova.
No major problems in the first set. She won it easily 6 - 3, but she got a little bit shaky in the second set that she lost it in a tiebreaker, 6(5) - 7. However she came back on track in the third, winning 6 - 2 to reach another Wimbledon Semifinals.
Her opponent in the semifinals was no mediocre, it was Vika Azarenka. The same player she beat to win Madrid, but Vika proved her class in her quarterfinal match against Tamira Paszek (who beat Fran in the third round--11 - 9 in the third set), which she won 6 - 3, 6 - 1. Nevertheless, Petra took the first set easily 6 - 1 against Vika--who surprisingly elected to receive first in the match. In the second set, for no particular reason, she crushed herself, and gave Vika the set, even though Vika only hit one winner in the set. Just like in the quarterfinal against Pironkova, Petra was back on track in the third, winning 6 - 2.
A Grand Slam final. The first one for her, the first one for a Czech player since 1998, and the first one for a lefty since 1996.
I remembered all my thoughts last year about her, and I only laughed at how stupid I was.
Maria followed her to the final, winning against Sabine "Boom Boom" Lisicki despite hitting 13 double faults (!!!) in the match. Okay, it was such a dream final, because I liked both players.
Judging from their semifinal matches, I already got a strong feeling that Petra would win--especially because of her serve compared to Maria's. But, well, tennis is one of the most unpredictable sports, and who knew if Maria was really hungry for a Slam after her horrible injury that once ousted her of the Top 100?
Saturday came.
All tennis fans were ready to watch one of the most exciting showdowns of the year.
Maria won the toss and elected to receive--it was a nice decision, actually, because she broke Petra in her very first service game. But then Maria served, and she got broken.
Because I didn't quite remember the detail, I'll just say that Petra closed the first set 6 - 3.
In the second set, Maria played a little bit better, and at 3 - 5 she managed to hit an ace and won her fourth game of the second set.
But then it was even more dangerous because Petra was to serve for the championship.
Three errors from Masha gave the Czech triple championship point.
Then she hit her only ace of the match.
"Game, set, and match, Miss Kvitova," Alison Lang, the chair umpire, announced. "6 - 3, 6 - 4."
She fell down on her knees, but not as dramatically as Maria did back in 2004. She didn't run to her box, too, instead she remained on the bench until the trophy presentation
Petra received the Venus Rosewater Dish from His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, the President of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. From the Royal Box, two Czech legends--Navratilova and Novotna--watched the moment with pride and joy.
She was interviewed on court afterwards. Her English was broken, but understandable (unlike Juan Martin del Potro's -_-). Apparently she wasn't used to get such attentions, and looked a little bit shy, but hey, humbleness and shyness are main parts of her, even as a Grand Slam champion.
Then she was brought near a board with all the champions' names on it--with her name newly written.
It was a touching moment for me. I would cry if only I could.
Last year, I would never say that this lady, World No. 80-something, would win a Grand Slam anytime soon.
Last year, I would never say that the 2011 Wimbledon would be won by a Czech lefty.
Last year, I would never say that someone named Petra Kvitova would soon lift a Grand Slam trophy.
She successfully proved that I was absolutely wrong.
Seeing her name on the champions' list, seeing her name as a Grand Slam champion on Wikipedia, seeing her lifting the Dish, etc. amazed me--and still do. Life is mysterious--as many things in tennis have proved. You never know what's gonna happen--good things or bad things. Who would have thought that Navratilova would dominate Wimbledon? Who would have thought that Stefanie Graf would achieve a Calendar Year Grand Slam? Who would have thought that Monica Seles' career would be marked by such a terrible incident? Who would have thought that Novotna would win a Grand Slam at last (well...Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent would actually)? Who would have thought that 17-year-old Maria Sharapova could conquer the mighty Serena Williams to win Wimbledon? Who would have thought that a tiny Belgian could produce such a superb backhand? Who would have thought that a mother could win a Grand Slam as an unranked player with a wildcard entry? Who would have thought that Fran Schiavone would win a Grand Slam just prior to her 30th birthday? Who would have thought that an Asian was capable of winning a Grand Slam on her least favorite surface?
Who would have thought that Petra Kvitova could be a Wimbledon Champion?
Petra Kvitova, 2011 Wimbledon Ladies' Singles Champions
Defeating Maria Sharapova 6 - 3, 6 - 4 in the Final.
First Czech to win a Grand Slam since 1997.
First left-handed player to win a Grand Slam since 1996.
First left-handed player to win Wimbledon since 1990.
A new champion, big contender, and hopefully future World No. 1.
Plus, my man Roger Federer lost in the quarterfinals to another man of mine, Tomas Berdych, who would reach the final before losing to Rafa Nadal.
But there were two players I kept my eyes on.
One of them was Tsvetana Pironkova. She defeated the Queen of Grass, Venus Williams, in the quarterfinals. At the time, nobody expected someone not named Serena Jameka to beat Queen Venus at Wimbledon.
Another one was Petra Kvitova, a lefty from the Czech Republic, a country that has produced grass court rulers such as Martina Navratilova and Jana Novotna in the past.
I wanted those two to meet in the final, yeah, after heartbreaking losses of my favorite players I wanted to see a totally crazy final. Even though I knew it was completely impossible.
Pironkova surrendered to Russia's Vera Zvonareva, at the time ranked No. 20-something, but her final showings at Wimbledon and the US Open that year lifted her up to the Top 3 in the WTA ranking.
Kvitova lost to eventual champion, Serena Williams.
And the latter loser is the main topic of this post.
Petra Kvitova, 21, was ranked No. 80-something. Her semifinals showing at Wimbledon amazed me, but at the time I told myself,
"There's no way this lady's gonna win a Grand Slam anytime soon. She has a great game but for a Slam she has to wait."
I thought my expectation was about to be true, because then Petra--I prefer to call her by her first name--lost five consecutive matches in early rounds of tournaments. "Okay, she is okay, I like her game, but apparently she doesn't have what it takes to win a Slam soon."
Months later, she slowly told me what an idiot I was.
In January she won the Brisbane International, defeating--perhaps the funniest player ever in the history of funny tennis players--Andrea Petkovic. Then she beat reigning Australian Open Champion Kim Clijsters in the final of Open GDF Suez in Paris, whose semifinal win gave her the No. 1 ranking for one week (pity because I certainly would rather see her as the World No. 1, than the current World No. 1). She entered the Top 20, and I liked her game more and more after that, but I still didn't see her as a Grand Slam champion anytime soon.
Then came the claycourt season.
In Madrid--the most prestigious women's claycourt tournament after Roland Garros--she reached the final, and there she beat one of this year's best players, Vika Azarenka. She reached the Top 10, and then I said to myself, "How on Earth could I be so idiotic? This lady has what it takes to win a Slam! She'll go far at Roland Garros!"
She was one of the favorites to win Roland Garros--along with Vika, Fran Schiavone, Maria Sharapova, and Julia
I also expected her to go far, at least the semifinals. But...well, she didn't even reach the quarterfinals. She lost in the fourth round to eventual (surprising) champion, Li Na, despite winning the first set.
Then came the grasscourt season. Grasscourt is, no doubt, Petra's favorite surface. She played a warmup tournament in Eastbourne and reached the final, but she lost to Marion Bartoli--wasn't surprising, I mean they played the semifinals only a few hours before the final!
Then came Wimbledon with all its glory.
The defending champion came back from a very bad injury, and so did the Queen of Grass. They were heavy favorites, of course. Maria Sharapova who had played better than ever since her shoulder injury was also expected to go far. Vera Zvonareva was, too, because she was the runner-up last year. The World No. 1...well, was seeking a Grand Slam she had 'longed' for. She managed to record some good wins in early rounds.
In the first four matches, Petra didn't lose a set--she even fed a bagel to former US Open semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer in the fourth round. In the quarterfinals, she was drawn against fellow last year's semifinalist, Tsvetana Pironkova.
No major problems in the first set. She won it easily 6 - 3, but she got a little bit shaky in the second set that she lost it in a tiebreaker, 6(5) - 7. However she came back on track in the third, winning 6 - 2 to reach another Wimbledon Semifinals.
Her opponent in the semifinals was no mediocre, it was Vika Azarenka. The same player she beat to win Madrid, but Vika proved her class in her quarterfinal match against Tamira Paszek (who beat Fran in the third round--11 - 9 in the third set), which she won 6 - 3, 6 - 1. Nevertheless, Petra took the first set easily 6 - 1 against Vika--who surprisingly elected to receive first in the match. In the second set, for no particular reason, she crushed herself, and gave Vika the set, even though Vika only hit one winner in the set. Just like in the quarterfinal against Pironkova, Petra was back on track in the third, winning 6 - 2.
A Grand Slam final. The first one for her, the first one for a Czech player since 1998, and the first one for a lefty since 1996.
I remembered all my thoughts last year about her, and I only laughed at how stupid I was.
Maria followed her to the final, winning against Sabine "Boom Boom" Lisicki despite hitting 13 double faults (!!!) in the match. Okay, it was such a dream final, because I liked both players.
Judging from their semifinal matches, I already got a strong feeling that Petra would win--especially because of her serve compared to Maria's. But, well, tennis is one of the most unpredictable sports, and who knew if Maria was really hungry for a Slam after her horrible injury that once ousted her of the Top 100?
Saturday came.
All tennis fans were ready to watch one of the most exciting showdowns of the year.
Maria won the toss and elected to receive--it was a nice decision, actually, because she broke Petra in her very first service game. But then Maria served, and she got broken.
Because I didn't quite remember the detail, I'll just say that Petra closed the first set 6 - 3.
In the second set, Maria played a little bit better, and at 3 - 5 she managed to hit an ace and won her fourth game of the second set.
But then it was even more dangerous because Petra was to serve for the championship.
Three errors from Masha gave the Czech triple championship point.
Then she hit her only ace of the match.
"Game, set, and match, Miss Kvitova," Alison Lang, the chair umpire, announced. "6 - 3, 6 - 4."
She fell down on her knees, but not as dramatically as Maria did back in 2004. She didn't run to her box, too, instead she remained on the bench until the trophy presentation
Petra received the Venus Rosewater Dish from His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent, the President of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. From the Royal Box, two Czech legends--Navratilova and Novotna--watched the moment with pride and joy.
She was interviewed on court afterwards. Her English was broken, but understandable (unlike Juan Martin del Potro's -_-). Apparently she wasn't used to get such attentions, and looked a little bit shy, but hey, humbleness and shyness are main parts of her, even as a Grand Slam champion.
Then she was brought near a board with all the champions' names on it--with her name newly written.
It was a touching moment for me. I would cry if only I could.
Last year, I would never say that this lady, World No. 80-something, would win a Grand Slam anytime soon.
Last year, I would never say that the 2011 Wimbledon would be won by a Czech lefty.
Last year, I would never say that someone named Petra Kvitova would soon lift a Grand Slam trophy.
She successfully proved that I was absolutely wrong.
Seeing her name on the champions' list, seeing her name as a Grand Slam champion on Wikipedia, seeing her lifting the Dish, etc. amazed me--and still do. Life is mysterious--as many things in tennis have proved. You never know what's gonna happen--good things or bad things. Who would have thought that Navratilova would dominate Wimbledon? Who would have thought that Stefanie Graf would achieve a Calendar Year Grand Slam? Who would have thought that Monica Seles' career would be marked by such a terrible incident? Who would have thought that Novotna would win a Grand Slam at last (well...Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent would actually)? Who would have thought that 17-year-old Maria Sharapova could conquer the mighty Serena Williams to win Wimbledon? Who would have thought that a tiny Belgian could produce such a superb backhand? Who would have thought that a mother could win a Grand Slam as an unranked player with a wildcard entry? Who would have thought that Fran Schiavone would win a Grand Slam just prior to her 30th birthday? Who would have thought that an Asian was capable of winning a Grand Slam on her least favorite surface?
Who would have thought that Petra Kvitova could be a Wimbledon Champion?
Defeating Maria Sharapova 6 - 3, 6 - 4 in the Final.
First Czech to win a Grand Slam since 1997.
First left-handed player to win a Grand Slam since 1996.
First left-handed player to win Wimbledon since 1990.
A new champion, big contender, and hopefully future World No. 1.
C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S
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