18 double errors, but the 14th. Victory in a row: Petra Kvitova has again honoured her nickname “P3tra” and is in the third round of Indian Wells. The Czech needed 3:17 hours for the 6:7 (4:7), 7:6 (7:3), 6:4 against Yulia Putintseva from Kazakhstan. It was the longest women’s main field match so far this year.
“It took a long time out there. I have a sunburn,”said the ninth seed Kvitova, who was already trailing the 1.63-metre-long Putintseva in the decisive set with a break and 2:4,”I don’t know how I managed it yet. I just stayed calm.” Unlike her extremely spirited opponent. Putintseva smashed her racket after the Czech’s converted match ball.
Already in the first two sets, the two-time Wimbledon winner, who is nicknamed “P3tra” because of her “preference” for three-match matches, felt flat. When she sat next to her coach Jiri Vanek on the bench after the second round, Kvitova said:”I couldn’t do it anymore! And there was a recollection: the long game against Andrea Petkovic (Darmstadt) at the Australian Open in January had already lost them after almost three hours. But Vanek was convinced in his chest tone:”You can do it!” Kvitova managed it this time – and prepared herself with it one day after her 28th birthday. Birthday a belated gift.
This season, the left-hander has already won the tournaments in St. Gallen. Petersburg and Doha, respectively, and managed to return to the top ten after a five-month break last year. Kvitova was on 20. They were attacked in their apartment in Prostejov in the Czech Republic on 12 December 2016 and were severely injured by a hitherto unsuspected burglar with a knife on the striking hand. I didn’t know where to go at that time,”said Kvitova, who was very popular with colleagues on the tour, and recently admitted:” I’ve become more scared. Especially when I’m on the road. More things seem suspicious to me.”
In the meantime, she is back to her top form on the course. Even though the passionate Fed Cup player made 18 double mistakes against Putintseva. Anyway, that’s what 66 winners get for it. In the next round, the 16-year-old wildcard owner Amanda Anisimova (USA) is waiting for the next round, who defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia/No. 23)6:4,6:1. Kvitova has never made it past the quarter-finals in Indian Wells.
The top seeded Simona Halep, however, finished her opening task at the Centre Court in the picturesque Tennis Garden with ease. The Romanian needed about 75 minutes for the 6:4,6:4 against Kristyna Pliskova (Czech Republic). Halep no longer had problems with her damaged foot. However, there are still difficulties with the similarity of the two twin sisters Karolina, number five in the world, and Kristyna Pliskova:”I cannot tell them apart. Even when I talk to them, I don’t know who I’m talking to,”Halep told them with a smile.
In the match for the next round of the last sixteen, the industry leader will face Caroline Dolhehide on Sunday. Only thanks to a wildcard, the American had slipped into the main draw – and on Friday promptly eliminated former WTA World Champion Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia/No. 30) with 5:7,6:3,6:4.
In the night from Saturday to Sunday, Angelique Kerber (Kiel/No. 10) and Julia Görges (Bad Oldesloe/No. 12) will also be taking part in the tournament for the first time. Both had a walk-through in the opening round of the first Premier Mandatory 2018 tournament. DAZN broadcasts the matches live.