Australian Open: Petkovic fights for second round in Melbourne

Andrea Petkovic has reached the second round of a Grand Slam tournament after a dramatic match for the first time in a year. At the Australian Open, the Darmstadterin defeated two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic/No. 27)6:3,4:6,10:8.

In her fourth match point, Petkovic benefited from Kvitova’s tenth double error after 2:52 hours. After Angelique Kerber (Kiel/No. 21), Julia Görges (Bad Oldesloe/No. 12) and Mona Barthel (Neumünster),”Petko” was the fourth and last German to win their opening game in Melbourne. In the second round on Thursday, the 30-year-old will meet Jana Cepelova (Slovakia) or Lauren Davis (USA).

Petkovic won the tenth duel with Kvitova. The former top 10 player fights for her place among the best 100 players in the world. Kvitova has not yet found her way back to her old class after the knife attack in December 2016, when a burglar had inflicted serious injuries on her striking hand.