Petra Kvitova has capped off a dream week at the St. Petersburg Open by defeating fourth seed Kristina Mladenovic 6-1, 6-2, in the final.
The two-time Wimbledon champion produced a clinical performance as she out hit and overpowered her French rival on the court throughout the 66-minute encounter. Hitting seven aces and converting four out of her eight break point opportunities. Rewarding the Czech her first Premier title since June.
“It was a very special tournament for me. All week there has been unbelievable matches that I have played. I had to fight to make the final.” Kvitova said during the trophy ceremony.
During the opening set Kvitova dropped just four points behind her serve as she broke her opponent three times. Meanwhile, former champion Mladenovic struggled to generate any momentum to break down her opponent. Who sealed the 6-1 lead by winning 11 out of the last 12 points played in the set.
.@Petra_Kvitova takes 11 of the last 12 points to take the first set, 6-1!
She is one set from the #FormulaTX title! pic.twitter.com/4iZjGh3FLD
— WTA (@WTA) 4 February 2018
Continuing to dominate proceedings, it wasn’t until the closing stages of the match where Kvitova faced a stern challenge. Serving for the victory, she went down 0-40 to Mladenovic. Despite the blip, she battled back to draw level at deuce with the help of some speedy first serves. Championship point was the secured after a lengthy exchange between both players resulted in a Mladenovic slice landing out. A point away from the title, Kvitova close the match out in fitting fashion with a double-handed backhand winner down the line.
“I would like to thank all of the people that made this unbelievable tournament. It is a beautiful city.” Kvitova said in a tribute to the tournament. “I know that it is the work of many people.”
.@Petra_Kvitova claims the @Formula_TX title!
Downs Mladenovic, 6-1, 6-2! pic.twitter.com/ddoqhPh0XG
— wta (@WTA) February 4, 2018
The triumph comes after what has been a tough start to the season for the 27-year-old. A viral illness forced her to miss her opening tournament in Brisbane. Then Kvitova suffered early exits in Sydney and at the Australian Open, where she lost in the first round to Andrea Petkovic.
Runner-up Mladenovic can also seek positives from her run. Entering the tournament, the 2017 champion was on a 15-match losing streak in singles competition. During her resurgence, she managed to score wins over Dominika Cibulkova, Kateřina Siniaková and Daria Kasatkina.
“Coming into this week, there was a lot of pressure. A lot of people expected me to show up in the final.” Said Mladenovic.
“To be here in the final is a very big privilege.”
Kvitova’s latest win has pushed her on the verge of going back into the top 20 of the WTA rankings. She will now rise to 21st position with no ranking points to defend on the tour until the French Open. Meanwhile, Mladenovic’s loss moves Julia Goerges intro the top 10 for the first time in her career.
Kvitova now has 21 titles to her name. The fifth highest among active players on the WTA Tour.
