Petra Kvitova can be such a confounding enigma on the court.
One of the most aggressive players on the tour, the Czech is a two-time Wimbledon champion.
She was ranked as high as No 2 in June 2015, before an loss of form that has seen her slip out of the Top 10 for the first time since September 2013 to No 16, her lowest ranking since May 2011.
During the first nine months of this season, Kvitova played 50 matches and lost 20, including two in Fed Cup.
She could go no further than the second round at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, reached the third at the French and the fourth at the US Open.
Kvitova played in 18 tournaments during those nine months, and her best were the semi-final appearances in Stuttgart, New Haven and the Rio Olympics, which was responsible for her turnaround.
“I think it was kind of extra motivation to play for the country,” she said in Zhuhai last week, where she won the WTA Elite Trophy for her second title of the season.
“That I think gave me a little bit more confidence, more motivation, more energy.”
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Without a trophy since the Connecticut Open in August, 2015, the Rio-inspired Kvitova managed to end her drought in Wuhan and then reached the final in Luxembourg before coming to Zhuhai.
These two titles mean Kvitova is “enjoying” her tennis again, a “feeling that was missing for a couple of months in the beginning of the season”.
Playing this season without a coach, Kvitova has certainly done well to rediscover herself on the court. The Czech now is hoping to reach farther than before in her career with the new men’s No 1, Andy Murray, being an inspiration.
“We just saw how Andy did it. I think it’s a great achievement,” said Kvitova, who also hopes to reach the No 1 ranking.
“The No 1 spot is still missing in my career and I think that without that goal I probably don’t play tennis anymore.”
Can she reach her goal of becoming No 1 in the world?
She certainly has the game, but then she can be such a confounding enigma.
Tennis last week
Women's tour Recovering from an early service break, Petra Kvitova needed only 70 minutes to dispatch Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-2 in the final of the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai. This was Kvitova's third final in four tournaments following a disappointing first nine months of the year, and she is now looking forward to closing the year on a high with another medal to add to the titles she won in Wuhan and Zhuhai, when the Czech Republic take on hosts France in the Fed Cup final next weekend.
WTA rankings
1 – A Kerber (9,080)
2 – S Williams (7,050)
3 – A Radwanska (5,600)
4 – S Halep (5,228)
5 – D Cibulkova (4,875)
6 – K Pliskova (4,600)
7 – G Muguruza (4,236)
8 – M Keys (4,137)
9 – S Kuznetsova (4,115)
10 – J Konta (3,640)
arizvi@thenational.ae
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