WTA Tennis News • Czech Star Petra Kvitova Captures Third Title of 2018 in Prague

@Petra_Kvitova claims #PragueOpen glory with fifth straight final win! – Photo by @WTA via Twitter.

 

 

Petra Kvitova created a comeback climax to a rousing homecoming week.

 

Kvitova roared back from a one-set deficit defeating Mihaela Buzarnescu, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, in the Prague final to capture her first championship on home soil and third title of the year.

 

Less than a year after launching her return from a horrific home invasion stabbing that required surgery to her left hand, the 28-year-old Czech made a memorable debut in Prague.

 

The second-seeded Kvitova collected her first clay-court title since she toppled Grand Slam champions Serena Williams and Svetlana Kuznetsova in succession to take the 2015 Madrid crown.

 

The two-time Wimbledon champion solidified her status as an all-court champion. Kvitova has now captured titles on indoor hard court (St. Petersburg), outdoor hard court (Doha) and clay this year and remains one the game’s premier grass-court players.

 

Kvitova permitted just one set in five tournament victories en route to her 23rd career title.

 

The first set featured sudden momentum shifts as Kvitova surged to a 3-0 lead and held a pair of break points to extend to 4-0.

 

Undaunted, Buzarnescu burst through five consecutive games.

 

The seventh-seeded Romanian celebrated her 30th birthday yesterday and was one set from her first Tour-level title.

 

A sloppy Kvitova committed 24 unforced errors, including five of her seven double faults as the 37th-ranked Romanian built a one-set lead.

 

Cleaning up her act in the second, Kvitova dug in to deny six break points and pound away at Buzarnescu’s serve. Kvitova broke three times to force the decider.

 

On the strength of one service break, Kvitova closed out an emotional victory, raising her record to 24-6 on the season.