Champion may leave with more than tears as souvenirs

Chief Sports Writer

Monday 25 June 2012

THERE will be tears on the Centre Court tomorrow as the women's champion takes her bow.

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Hugh MacDonald

They will not come from Petra Kvitova, the 22-year-old Czech who won her first grand slam title in SW19 last year. Her parents, Jiri and Pavla, though, are prepared to be emotional when their daughter walks out to play Akgul Amanmuradora of Uzbekistan.

The triumph was last year but the recognition has followed and Kvitova has adjusted quickly to life as a Wimbledon champion. Her background is almost a template of how a girl progresses to be a winner.Her father, an engineer, introduced her to the sport at an early age and her idol was fellow countrywoman Martina Navratilova. The opportunity to play was thus complemented by an inspirational figure. Talent and physique combined to make the left-hander a difficult proposition on any surface, but a particular danger on grass.Her year has been fractured by an Achilles injury and a bout of illness, but her advance to the semi-finals of the French Open suggests that a second triumph at Wimbledon is not beyond her.The revitalised Maria Sharapova and the temporarily becalmed Serena Williams are the favourites to lift the Venus Rosewater dish, but Kvitova has the demeanour and the game to suggest that her hopes extend much beyond the traditional role of the women's champion opening tomorrow's proceedings. Her arrival on grass came relatively late, but her ability on the surface means she will be an enduring presence at future Wimbledons."In the Czech Republic I practised only indoors on the very fast surface and outdoor on the clay. My first game on the grass was when I played Juniors," she said yesterday. "It was nice to play on the grass for the first time and have a good results." Her parents will watch her from the royal box. "For me it's very nice to have them here, because my father was my coach until my 16. They travel with me a lot."Inside, I'm still same person as before the Wimbledon title. People recognise me everywhere. In the beginning it was very strange for me. Now it's part of our life, so I'm okay."She is pragmatic, too, about the duties of celebrity. "I try not to think about it and just do it," she says of the ancillary work involved in being a winner of the most prestigious tennis tournament.Ranked fourth in the world, she has promised to play aggressively at Wimbledon. There will, however, be a softness in the stands. Her father cried when she won last year. She said yesterday that she fully expected him to cry when he sees her on Centre Court. He may have to save some tears for a repeat victory in the final for a champion and a daughter.

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Champion may leave with more than tears as souvenirs

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