Losing finalist predicts a bright future for Wimbledon champion Kvitova
Losing finalist predicts a bright future for Wimbledon champion Kvitova
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Maria Sharapova believes the Wimbledon title can launch a glittering career for tennis' brightest new star Petra Kvitova.
The 21-year-old Czech made her grand slam breakthrough in stunning fashion on Saturday with a nerveless performance to beat former champion Sharapova 6-3 6-4.
Kvitova became the youngest Wimbledon champion since a 17-year-old Sharapova won the title in 2004, and the first player born in the 1990s to win a grand slam.
With her triumph, Kvitova jumped to the head of a generation of players that also includes World No 1 Caroline
Wozniacki and No 4 Victoria Azarenka, beaten by Czech in the semi-finals.
Sharapova expects her to stay there after observing the improvements she has made to her game.
Powerful hitter
The Russian said: "I think she's a much more powerful hitter, she has bigger strokes, and I'd say probably a better serve. She's a Grand Slam champion. She has a tremendous amount of potential to go even further and achieve many great things."
With the frequent absence of the Williams sisters, the retirement of Justine Henin and Sharapova's injury troubles, women's tennis has been crying out for new names to come through and seize the moment.
Kvitova did just that, but she was reluctant to herald the dawn of a new era, saying: "It can be, but we know the Williams sisters want to again be the best players in the world so I don't know."
The first real indication that Kvitova could join the elite came at Wimbledon last year, when she reached the semi-finals.
Kvitova had never won a match on grass before but she beat Azarenka and Wozniacki, and put up a good fight against Serena Williams in the last four.
But Kvitova went out and lost in the first round of her next five tournaments.
This season, though, it has been a different story. Kvitova has won four titles, reached two more finals and made at least the fourth round at all the Grand Slams.
Last year's defeat
She said: "When I was here in the semi-finals last year, I thought that I had to beat everybody that I played. And I couldn't, so it was tough for me.
"But I've improved already because when I won in Brisbane, I played well in Melbourne and then after that as well, so hopefully it will be the same.
"It was a great experience for me last year because I knew that I could beat players from the top 10 at grand slams. It was great but still I had a lot of work I had to do. I did it and it's the same now."
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