By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, June 25, 2022
Petra Kvitova dethroned defending champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2 to win her 29th career title at Eastbourne, improving to 5-1 in grass finals.
Photo credit: Getty
Green space inspires Petra Kvitova’s inner gardener.
Contesting her first grass final since 2018, a masterful Kvitova lit up the lawn in Eastbourne dethroning defending champion Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2 to capture her 29th career title.
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Since the start of 2009, only former world No. 1 Serena Williams (41) has won more championships than Kvitova, who claimed her first title since 2021 Doha.
In a clash of Grand Slam champions, Kvitova played clean combinations, saved all five break points she faced and powered through a five-game surge in the second set to beat Ostapenko for the fifth time in nine meetings.
Two-time Wimbledon winner Kvitova improved to 5-1 in grass-court finals collecting her first title on turf since 2018 Birmingham.
“Playing on the grass is very special to me every time—especially when you step on such a beautiful court as this one here,” Kvitova said in her on-court interview. “A big thank you to the people who are taking care every day of the grass. I hope we didn’t destroy it that much.”
Former Wimbledon semifinalist Ostapenko had not dropped a set en route to the final, but could not get her game on track against Kvitova’s crackling drives that danced deep near the baseline robbing the Latvian of reaction time.
The first woman to contest back-to-back Eastbourne finals since Caroline Wozniacki in 2017 and 2018, Ostapenko saw her nine-match Eastbourne singles winning streak end, but still had a shot to take the doubles title with partner Lyudmyla Kichenok.
“It was not the result I wanted, but in general I think I have to take the positives out of this week,” Ostapenko said. “I think I played some great tennis even if today it did not go my way…
“It’s such a great event and I always love to come here. Hopefully, next week I will also play well.”
Kvitova came out swinging freely and firing with ambition. The Czech broke on a netted backhand in the second game. Kvitova curled an ace out wide backing up the break at 30 for 3-0.
Errors were piling up for Ostapenko, but she stabilized saving a couple of break points earning a hard-fought hold for 2-4.
Though the pair stepped on court deadlocked at 4-4 in their head-to-head series, the Kvitova serve, when it’s clicking, is a more dangerous weapon than Ostapenko’s delivery. Kvitova cranked a body serve holding at 15 for 5-2.
The 2017 Roland Garros champion showed grit denying a pair of set points to hold firm under fire in the eighth game.
The 14th-seeded Kvitova served out the 34-minute opener at love. Kvitova won 20 of 24 points played on her serve opening and closing the set with love holds.
Undone by 13 errors—eight more than Kvitova in the opening set—Ostapenko held to start the second set.
The pace and depth of Kvitova’s drives—even when playing right down the middle—handcuffed Ostapenko at times. The hard-hitting Latvian slapped a forehand reply into set surrendering serve in the third game.
The left-hander lashed her sixth ace down the T holding for her fifth straight game and a 5-1 lead.
Staring down championship point, Ostapenko scorched the sideline with an ace to erase it. Moving backward behind the baseline, Ostapenko angled off a crosscourt forehand winner holding to halt her five-game slide in the seventh game.
On her second championship point, Kvitova banged the body serve to end a 77-minute win that saw her save all five break points she faced.
If Kvitova can serve with similar command, keep her flat drives between the lines and minimize periods of streaky play, the former world No. 2 can be a serious threat at Wimbledon.
The 25th-seeded Kvitova opens against Italian Jasmine Paolini with No. 4-seeded Spaniard Paula Badosa standing as her first potential seeded opponent in the second quarter of the draw that also features 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena, 2019 Wimbledon champion Simona Halep, Roland Garros runner-up Coco Gauff and 2021 Wimbledon finalist Karolina Pliskova.