Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova heads into French Open ‘confident’ she can do well on clay
PARIS, May 24, 2012
Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova feels she now has the game to win on all surfaces on which the Grand Slam tennis tournaments are played.
Speaking in an interview with Laureus.com, ahead of next week’s French Open Grand Slam event, she said: “I think from last year that I can play on all surfaces and I won in Madrid on the clay, Wimbledon and I won on hard court as well, so I think that I have a game to play very well on different surfaces.”
Kvitova, who also won the WTA Championships last year, plus events in Brisbane, Paris, Madrid and Linz, said her goals for 2012 are to improve every part of her game, but she particularly hopes to do well in the Olympic Games in London.
She said that she loves to play for her country in team events, such as the Federation Cup, and the Olympics will be exciting. “I am really looking forward to the Olympics and I played Beijing, unfortunately, only doubles, so I am looking forward to having good matches on the grass. I love to play for my country, so I will try my best and hopefully it will be nice and we will see where I will be in the draw.”
In the interview, Kvitova identifies Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova as her main rivals in the years ahead. She said: “I think Vika [Victoria Azarenka] started very well this season and she played very well. She is more consistent than before and Maria Sharapova is playing very well. She won some tournaments again and I think that those two players will be in the top for a long time.”
She also reveals that she did not think at the start of last year that she could win Wimbledon. She said: “No, never. I did not think that I could win Wimbledon and it was a dream and an incredible feeling for me. It was first the Grand Slam and then Wimbledon. I remember the final very well and sometimes, when I have time, I watch it again on YouTube - to see if I played very well and played aggressively.”
One of the results of her brilliant 2011 was her nomination for the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year Award. “Yes, of course it was very nice when I knew that I was nominated for the Laureus Award. It was a very nice evening when I was there and, unfortunately, I did not win, but it was very nice for me and a good experience.”
