Kvitova wants to get used to winning.
APIA Sydney International — Karolina Pliskova is tall, can crack both wings and is the owner of one of the biggest serves around. But she was not consistent enough as Petra Kvitova outlasted her 7-6 (5) 7-6 (6) in the final.
Karolina is more confident now and looks like she should crack the top 10 by the summer, and yes, she could go deep at the Australian Open. But even though she isn’t’ afraid anymore, she was against Kvitova in the tiebreaks. She was right there, but Petra went for it immediately while Pliskova didn’t. She said that she isn’t sad, but wasn’t running fast as she could
“I must say a little bit tired,” Pliskova said. “Also in the match I wasn’t that ‑ I don’t want to say fast, because I’m not that fast normally ‑ but I felt a little bit tired, not that much power in my serve. The shots were not that fast, like let’s say yesterday against Angelique [Kerber. I was playing doubles here as well, so maybe every day finished like at 11:00 in the evening, maybe that’s why.”
She then laughed: “Well, I would love to play the doubles final, but I feel now better if I’m not playing anymore.”
The world No. 4 Kvitova is flying now, but she has had trouble in the Aussie Open before. She now owns 15 titles and some pretty big wins, many on hard courts. But, let’s not forget 2012 when she looked like she might out hit Maria Sharapova but the Russian was more courageous and took her out by focusing on her weaker backhand side. Sharapova won the contest 6-4 in the third and waved her precocious smile. The Czech was simply angry.
“I had a lot of chances and I didn’t make it. I think it’s one of the more disappointing matches what I had. The past two years was just terrible and just didn’t really thinking about them nicely,” the Czech said.
Kvitova wasn’t really there in 2013 and 2014. She fell to Laura Robson 11-9 in the third set in 2013. “That was the worst ever from my serve in the second round,” she said. Last year, few knew who was Luksika Kumkhum, who shocked her in the first round.
“I need to do everything what I can this year to be better, because it’s not nice, to lose the first or second round in the Grand Slam,” she said. “It’s just bad and I know it, but it’s happened. I’m not the only one. But it was tough loses over there, so I will hope that I can do better.”
However, she says that she is faster these days and is bigger and stronger. She wants to be No. 1 this year. Perhaps she will, but she has to lock in very soon. The 24-year-old can smack the ball from both sides and kiss the lines. However, if she is going to win the title, she cannot get frustrated.
“I come to Melbourne tomorrow and I need to forget about the Sydney trophy to be ready and focused for the Melbourne,” she said. “It’s just really crazy world sometimes in tennis. I’m more mature, but we will see how it’s going there.”
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