By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, November 14, 2015
Petra Kvitova won 12 of the final 14 games powering past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to stake defending Fed Cup champion Czech Republic to a 1-0 lead over Russia.
Photo credit: Paul Zimmer/Fed Cup
Czech fans were chanting "Petra! Petra!" exhorting the Czech No. 1 in this Fed Cup final opener. Petra Kvitova answered the calls with an authoritative close.
Shaking off a skittish start, Kvitova roared through 12 of the last 14 games powering past Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 to stake defending champion Czech Republic to a 1-0 lead in the Fed Cup final at the O2 Arena in Prague.
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It was Kvitova's ninth consecutive victory on home soil. She earned it calming her nerves, loosening up her legs and letting her lefty forehand fly to raise her Fed Cup record to 26-6.
"It was nerves. It was really difficult for me to turn it around," Kvitova said of her sluggish start. "When I step on the court I was very nervous. I was so tight. My legs were very heavy and I could barely move."
In contrast, Pavlyuchenkova was quick off the mark and striking sharply.
A double fault wrapped by a pair of netted forehands put the left-hander in a triple break-point bind. Pavlyuchenkova belted a backhand return down the line breaking for 2-1. Pavlyuchenkova pressured the two-time Wimbledon winner with her feet. Bouncing inside the baseline to return second serves, she ran down several balls forcing Kvitova to hit—and sometimes spray— another shot.
A fine running forehand compelled Kvitova into over-hitting a backhand drive volley. Pavlyuchenkova broke again, rolling through 12 of 14 points in building a 4-1 lead.
On a fairly quick indoor court, Pavlyuchenkova repeatedly rushed one of the game's biggest hitters into wayward replies. When Kvitova stepped up, Pavlyuchenkova snuffed out three break points in the sixth game. She drove the serve down the T erasing the third break point and followed with an ace and forehand winner holding for 5-1. Following a forehand to net, Pavlyuchenkova knocked off a confident backhand volley to seal a commanding set.
Striking with more conviction to start the second set, Kvitova continuously applied pressure in the Russian's opening service. Pavlyuchenkova stubbornly staved off six break points, but a crackling forehand return broke down the resistance on the seventh break point.
That break through turned the entire match around. A now confident Kvitova backed up the break at love for a 3-0 second-set lead.
"It was kind of difficult, but fortunately I was able to break her," Kvitova said. "I think this game was key to the second set and important to the match. She played well. I don't think she was nervous. I had so many mistakes, kind of presents to give her."
The benevolent streak stopped in the second set.
Support from home fans typically calms Kvitova. Once she found her groove, the Czech No. 1 incited the crowd blasting through successive service games at love. Kvitova slammed an ace to extend her lead to 5-0.
On her fourth set point, Kvitova curled an ace wide to force a deciding set.
A sharper serve was the key stroke in the turnaround. Kvitova served just 40 percent in the first set, but raised that mark to 76 percent winning 14 of 16 first-serve points in the second set.
Russian captain Anastasia Myskina tried to rouse her charge with a clenched fist, but Pavlyuchenkova, so formidable in the first set, fell apart to start the third. A horrific game ended with a timid double fault into the middle of the net, handing the host the opening break.
Stepping into the court and hammering shots that backed her opponent up, Kvitova broke again for 4-1. By then a rattled Pavlyuchenkova could not stop her razor-sharp opponent or the roaring crowd. Successive double faults from the Russian ended it after one hour, 44 minutes.
Karolina Pliskova will face Russian No. 1 Maria Sharapova in the second singles as the Czech Republic play for their ninth Fed Cup championship, including their fourth in the last five years.