© “DAILY TENNIS NEWS WIRE”
Petra Kvitova tends to win the events where she is supposed to come out on top. The tall Czech was chosen by many to prevail at Wimbledon six months ago after making an impressive showing to reach the previous year and she was also many educated observers’ choice to win the WTA Championships in Istanbul.
Now Kvitova goes into the Australian Open as not only tournament favorite but also the player expected to ascend the world no.1 ranking before January is over.
Superficially things have seemed so easy for the 21 year-old but Kvitova does not see things as being quite so simplistic. “It’s not easy to win,” insisted the woman who will go into the Australian Open as the second seed but could take the no.1 ranking at the end of this week if she prevails at the Apia International in Sydney.
“I’m hearing this question about the first position in the WTA but sometimes it’s really crazy. Talking about the rankings – it’s only words.
“In one year I have taken a big step and my life has really changed and it is something new for me. Before, nobody knew who I was and now, when people see me in the street at home or at a tournament, they know me and they ask me for photographs and for autographs.”
At the Hopman Cup in Perth, Kvitova again proved herself stronger than Caroline Wozniacki, the rival she is set to overtake. Ranking points were not at stake in the International Tennis Federation ratified event but they are in Sydney.
Kvitova, who prepared for the new season in the Slovakian mountains, said: “I’m happy that I won, but it’s something different. It’s tough to say anything because it was not about the points or rankings or anything like that.
“It was a good match for us to prepare for Sydney and for the grand slam. We saw a little bit how we have both prepared.”
© “DAILY TENNIS NEWS WIRE”
Topics: Australian Open, Petra Kvitova