Indian Wells: Petra Kvitova nonetheless awaiting first win since coming back from having a child | Tennis Information
Petra Kvitova continues to be awaiting her first win since coming back from having a child after shedding 6-4 3-6 4-6 to France’s Varvara Gracheva on the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Kvitova, 34, who returned from a 17-month break final month after giving beginning to her son Petr, ran out of steam in a see-saw battle, which lasted two hours and 23 minutes.
Gracheva, who now faces fast-rising Russian Mirra Andreeva within the second spherical, fought again after shedding the opening set 6-4, decisively breaking Kvitova to steer 4-2 within the second earlier than levelling the match.
Kvitova hit again from 3-1 right down to degree it at 3-3 within the decider however crucially misplaced serve once more at 4-4 and the world No 70 served out for the victory.
After her win, Gracheva paid tribute to former world No 2 Kvitova: “When you let me step again a little bit bit, I actually wish to congratulate her,” she stated in her on-court interview.
“As a result of she had a toddler fairly lately, and I am so blissful that she now has the position of a mom and a tennis participant, which may be very demanding. It is very inspiring for sports activities, athletes, ladies – it is simply wonderful. Petra, my admiration to you – you are the very best!”
In her first match again on the tour, on the ATX Open in Texas on the finish of final month, Kvitova was overwhelmed in three units by British No 6 Jodie Burrage.
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Pegula flies Austin finalists to Indian Wells in personal jet
Jessica Pegula supplied to fly doubles gamers to California after competing in Austin
The finalists of the ATX Open in Austin have been spared a gruelling late-night journey to Indian Wells following Sunday’s motion after American Jessica Pegula flew them to the match within the Californian desert in her personal jet.
Pegula, whose billionaire mother and father personal Buffalo’s NFL and NHL franchises, received the singles title in Austin defeating compatriot McCartney Kessler 7-5 6-2 however hung round as Kessler and Zhang Shuai misplaced to Yuan Yue and Anna Blinkova within the doubles ultimate.
With the gamers then dealing with a fast turnaround forward of the Indian Wells principal draw, Pegula supplied to fly all of them to California for the WTA 1000 match.
Zhang thanked Pegula for her generosity on Instagram, including that they’d in any other case have confronted a late night time layover in Los Angeles or journeys to close by airports in Dallas and Houston.
“You realize she will be able to depart away proper after her singles ultimate, however she is such a selfless and beneficiant lady,” Zhang wrote.
“This message is NOT to indicate I took the jet, simply wished to understand and transferring the love.”
Blinkova additionally shared Zhang’s story on Instagram and thanked world No 4 Pegula, who has amassed greater than $17m in prize cash in her profession.
China’s Yue additionally expressed gratitude to US Open runner-up Pegula on social media for the luxurious journey.
“In any other case, we might all have been on the street for at the least 9 hours,” she added.
Watch the ATP and WTA Excursions, in addition to the US Open in New York, stay on Sky Sports activities in 2025 or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports activities app, giving Sky Sports activities prospects entry to over 50 per cent extra stay sport this 12 months at no additional price. Discover out extra right here.
