An extremely gifted all-court player, Petra Kvitova combines powerful, pure ball striking skills with a penetrating lefty serve and fine feel around the net. The latest in a long line of Czech champions, Kvitova captured her first Grand Slam crown at the 2011 Wimbledon, powering past three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova in the final to raise the Venus Rosewater Dish at the age of 21. The No. 8 seed was the first left-handed woman to win the title since Martina Navratilova in 1990, the first Czech woman to claim a major singles title since Jana Novotna won Wimbledon in 1998, and the first Grand Slam champ of either gender to be born in the 1990s. It was the highlight of a breakthrough season in which Kvitova collected six championships — Brisbane, Paris Indoors, Madrid, Wimbledon, Linz and the WTA Championships — to finish the year with a career-high rank of No. 2. Kvitova capped a standout season by leading the Czech Republic to the Fed Cup championship. Her father, Jiri, introduced her to tennis during her childhood. Kvitova, who trained in her hometown until age 16, says she looked up to Navratilova. Former No. 1 Martina Hingis has compared Kvitova's smooth ball-striking skills to another Czech-born lefty, Petr Korda, and has said Kvitova has the ability to win multiple majors. Kvitova was ranked No. 62 and had never won a grass-court match until the 2010 Wimbledon when she surged to the semifinals. Named the 2010 WTA Newcomer of the Year, Kvitova claimed four WTA awards in 2011: Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship and Fan Favorite Breakthrough Player. She was also named Czech Athlete of the Year. Kvitova snapped an eight-month title drought beating Caroline Wozniacki and Li Na in succession to win the Rogers Cup in Montreal, her first title of the 2012 season.
Petra Kvitova Tournament HistorySingles Titles 2012: Montreal
2011: Istanbul, Linz, Wimbledon, Brisbane, Paris, Madrid
2009: Hobart Doubles Titles No career titles
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