Petra Kvitova, 21, may have played her first Grand Slam final, and not only that, she played against former world No.1 and 2004 champion Maria Sharapova, but apart from the shaky serve in the opening game, Kvitova showed no signs of nervousness and went all the way to the biggest tennis trophy with a 6-3 6-4 win. The most powerful sign of Kvitova's mental strength, something very welcome in women's tennis, was the final game of the match which Kvitova quickly won with great serves without losing a point.

The weakest link in Sharapova's game was her serve, and here's one illustration: in the first set the Russian three-time Grand Slam champion won just 14% of points on her second serve. I often had a feeling that Sharapova was afraid to serve. After the coin toss she chose Kvitova to start the match. Also, the crucial sixth game of the first set Sharapova lost with a double fault and Kvitova earned a 4-2 lead. Sharapova's mental toughness got its time to shine when she served an ace on Kvitova's set point in the first set, but overall in the match, the eighth-ranked Kvitova was much more solid and not even the never-give-up attitude could save Sharapova. The first seven games of the second set featured five breaks of serve, and that fifth one was earned by Kvitova, who soon worked her way to the Wimbledon title.

Kvitova, who cracked the Top 10 this year, has won her fourth title of the season, after Brisbane, Paris and Madrid. (photo via Wimbledon)

I am always glad to get back in touch with the very first company who approached and supported Women's Tennis Blog as early as 2007 - Own the Zone. They have released a fun instructional video on how to volley and I thought it would be nice to share it. Press release follows.

Coach Dan Aronovic released his second free tennis lesson video on YouTube this week just in time for Wimbledon. His newest video, called the Tennis Volley with Salsa, is a short, funny and entertaining lesson on how to play the net in tennis. It will be followed by a 30-minute tennis lesson for download in the coming week, which provides drills, tactics and winning points at the net. This strategic tennis lesson will require a small fee of $9.95 for download. The Tennis Volley video can be downloaded from www.otzsports.com.

"The volley has become a 'lost art' in tennis, with most pro players slamming the ball from the backcourt", Coach Dan said. "But as Wimbledon shows us, more players will come to net because of the low bounce on grass. My volley instruction is modeled on the classic volleys of players like Billie Jean King, Stan Smith, Margaret Court and John Newcombe. I wanted to pass on this lost art of the volley to the current generation." Read more »

Martina Hingis started working with Vancouver-based active wear brand Tonic and in March 2012 we can expect Tonic Tennis by Martina Hingis.

The cooperation between the Canadian company and Swiss tennis player was initiated in Chelsea, when Hingis visited a sports store and was attracted by the softness and unique look of Tonic clothes. Then Hingis tried their clothes in action at a Wimbledon exhibition last year, after which she approached Tonic with a suggestion to launch a tennis collection.

When you go out and play tennis, you want to feel nice. You want to feel like a woman and know that the clothes won't let you down. What's so great about this line is its versatility and comfort, making it wearable from club to professional level. – Martina Hingis, winner of 5 Grand Slams in singles

(via Tennis Served Fresh)