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Tennis

Glory Days!

Petra beats Sabalenka in Dubai, Feb 2022
Pojd!

OK, so you know what I said about my favourites losing? Well forget it because today is a glorious day! Petra Kvitova beat world number 2 and the top seed at the WTA Dubai tournament 6-4, 6-4.

For me, Petra in full flight, hitting unbelievable winners and really going for her shots is why I became a fan. Her game is thrilling and beautiful to watch. Sabalenka has a bruising game and matched with her loud grunts, it is less pretty. I do kind of like her though, and the way she has fought through these serving woes is admirable. The way she overpowers opponents is not unlike young Petra. But today, she had no answers. Petra served well (although ended up with 6 double faults like Sabalenka! However, she cancelled them out with 7 aces and at key moments.)

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Tennis

What to do when your fave is losing!

Petra loses in AO Jan2021
Glum Petra in Melbourne

Every tennis fan gets there, no player, and I mean NO PLAYER, will win forever. Dealing with losses is part of sport. But there are losses that hurt more and especially as a player gets older.

2021 and 2022 have not been great years for Petra Kvitova. Her surge to the Doha title in 2021 was glorious but there was precious little else to cheer, and the first round, day one defeat by Sloane Stephens at Wimbledon was a real low point. 2022 has been similarly dismal for us Petra fans with losses to low ranked players and lifeless performances. It can be tough to stay positive when getting bagelled by Begu!

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Tennis

On Becoming a Krejcikova stan…

A reflection from June 2021

Barbora Krejcikova – Roland Garros 2021

For me, I always like to have a favourite tennis player. Someone above all others I root for, feel exhilarated when they win and crushed when they lose. My first tennis crush was Steffi Graf. I can still remember how genuinely upset I was when she lost to Lori McNeil in round 1 of Wimbledon 1993. Justine Henin was my next favourite and the first I, as an adult, put up a picture on my wall. A rather beautiful photo of her stylish one handed backhand. Henin’s premature retirement in 2009 was like being dumped out of the blue! What…? Erm, I don’t get it… WHY!? I briefly dipped into being an Elena Dementieva fan which might have prepared me for the ups and downs to come for my devotion to my One True Tennis Love, the wonderful Petra Kvitova. I think it was her Wimbledon 2011 run that hooked me, and seeing that beautiful flowing game. Who could have known the roller coaster ride that was to come!