Petra Kvitova sent down an ominous sign to her rivals on grass by winning the Birmingham Aegon Classic.
The Czech, twice a Wimbledon singles winner, defeated Australia’s Ashleigh Barty 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 for her first title since November last year. Since then Kvitova suffered a hand injury after being stabbed at her home during the off-season.
The first set, won by Barty, was the first that Kvitova had lost in the tournament, though she atoned for that by winning the next two without reply.
“It was a dream to play on the grass this year. I made it. From the first hit on the grass I felt great. I didn’t have expectations of any goals or of winning tournaments.”
Barty also congratulated the champion in her runner-up speech: “Congratulations to Petra. You are an inspiration, a champion, we love you, we missed you and it is amazing to have you back on court.”
Kvitova will be seeded at Wimbledon with the main draw due to get underway a week from Monday.
Kvitova has also announced her intention to play the Eastbourne International next week in a bid to fine-tune her final preparations for the year’s third grand slam. With Serena Williams absent due to being pregnant with her first child, Kvitova will be one of few players with the experience of winning a Wimbledon title at the Championships this year.
