NEW DELHI: Two-time former champion Petra Kvitova comfortably secured her place in the third round at Wimbledon on Friday, as the ninth seed breezed past Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 victory on Court Two.
The Czech star, aged 33, showcased her experience and skill, while her opponent struggled to pose a significant challenge.
Kvitova, who previously triumphed at Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, has only reached the third round once since her last victory. However, in her match against Sasnovich, she did not need to perform at her best, as the Belarusian made numerous errors. Despite her 10-year-long attempt to advance beyond the fourth round at a Grand Slam, Sasnovich was unable to find her rhythm.
Having warmed up for Wimbledon by winning the grass court title in Berlin, Kvitova and Sasnovich exchanged early breaks. However, it was the Czech player who seemed to have the upper hand. Kvitova broke Sasnovich's serve to take a 4-2 lead in the first set. Sasnovich struggled further, finishing the set with a double fault and losing it to Kvitova.
In the second set, Sasnovich briefly rallied to break Kvitova's serve and level the score at 1-1. However, her resurgence was short-lived, as Kvitova's deep and accurate groundstrokes, coupled with Sasnovich's high error count, allowed the favourite to cruise to victory in just 74 minutes.
Reflecting on the match, Kvitova acknowledged the challenge of playing against Sasnovich. "It's always difficult to play her, always a battle, and I'm happy that somehow I found a way and I'm through," said the Czech player, who is the fifth-highest earning female player with nearly $37 million in career earnings.
"You never know how long you can play, but I wish it never ends – all the support is always amazing."
(With inputs from Reuters)
