It is key that Petra Kvitova goes into her own ‘bubble’ during her Australian Open final clash with Naomi Osaka on Saturday, according to her coach Jiri Vanek.
The Czech has strolled into her first grand slam final since 2014 without dropping a set at Melbourne Park this year. On Thursday, Kvitova roared to a 7-6(2), 6-0, win over Danielle Collins in her semi-final match. Now a win away from her third grand slam title at the age of 28, mentor Vanek believes she will find her ‘killer instinct’ if she goes into her own bubble.
“She’s always smiling. I mean, we try in our team to smile everywhere. We make so many funny stuff around the court. She likes it,” Vanek explained during a press conference on Friday.
“I mean, sometimes she’s, we call it if she’s in her bubble that she plays this way. But sometimes happens, like, two, three months when she’s not in the bubble, then she plays in a different way.
“We just try to put her (back) to her bubble. Then she finds her killer instincts.”
Kvitova’s run at the Australian Open is her best performance during what she calls her ‘second career.’ In December 2016, the Czech player suffered damage to the nerves and tendons in her left hand after being involved in a tussle with an intruder in her apartment. In the aftermath, she required four hours of surgery to repair the damage and missed almost six months of the tour. Even now, she doesn’t have the full feeling in one of her fingers.
Since returning to the tour in May 2017 after the attack, Kvitova has soared up the WTA rankings. Winning five WTA titles last year alone. The Czech has also started this season strong by winning the Sydney International. The successful start to the season has been attributed to a more fitter Kvitova, who lost weight during the off-season.
“She lost some weight. She even tells us she feels more comfortable on the court when she’s running, when she has longer rallies.” Her coach said.
“During our preparation before the season, we tried to play as much tennis as we can and lose (weight), that probably helps her a lot.”
Reflecting on her comeback, Vanek said Kvitova used to care too much about what people thought. However, he insists that the focus is now solely on herself.
“Sometimes she cares too much about other people than herself.” He said. “I just tell her every day, It’s your tennis. It’s up to you. You are a two-time Wimbledon champion. Nobody else can judge you.”
“Somebody can come and say something not really nice, and so we keep her away from other people,” Vanek added.
In the final, Kvitova will take on 21-year-old Osaka. A player who is on a 13-match winning streak in grand slam tournaments. It will be the first meeting between the two players. At stake will not just be the title, it will also be the world No.1 ranking. A milestone neither player have yet reached in their careers.
Kvitova has won her past eight WTA finals on the tour. The last time she settled for runner-up was to Monica Niculescu at the 2016 Luxembourg Open.
Who is Jiri Vanek?
- A former world No.14 junior player who reached the semi-finals of the 1996 French Open boys’ tournament
- On the professional tour, he peaked at a high of 74th in singles and won 11 Challenger titles
- In doubles, he peaked at 94th in the world. Winning only one title on the Challenger tour alongside Janko Tipsarević, who is still playing.
- Coached Karolina Pliskova prior to Kvitova
