Tuesday at the 2017 Aegon Classic was a very good day for Czech tennis as Petra Kvitova and Lucie Safarova clinched wins to kick off their campaigns in Birmingham.
In the morning, Petra Kvitova completed in fine style her first match on grass since coming back from the injuries sustained during a knife attack, beating fellow Czech Tereza Smitkova in two sets.
While the two-time Wimbledon champion’s win was somewhat expected, Lucie Safarova stunned Dominika Cibulkova in a three-set afternoon thriller. Cibulkova failed to convert two match points in the second set, falling to Safarova in the decider. The No.3 seed Cibulkova is the first big-name casualty in Birmingham as Kristina Mladenovic, Johanna Konta and Garbine Muguruza all passed their first-rounds test with flying colors on Tuesday.
The second round of the tournament is due to commence on Wednesday, with Petra Kvitova playing her second-round match against Naomi Broady. Keep checking back for all the latest from Birmingham on Women’s Tennis Blog.
MORE PHOTOS FROM THE 2017 AEGON CLASSIC:
- Monday: Mixed results for British players
- Sunday: Draw ceremony, Kerber’s withdrawal and qualifying action
- Saturday: WTA qualifying + Petra Kvitova’s practice session
Lucie Safarova is really playing well despite playing three sets in her last few matches since last week. I think she’ll rebound before the end of the year. Czechs are really a powerhouse in the WTA.