Petra Kvitova’s return from the hand injuries sustained in last December’s knife attack is picking up steam as the Czech two-time Wimbledon champion has moved into the quarterfinals of the 2017 Aegon Classic in Birmingham.
Following her first-round victory over Tereza Smitkova, Kvitova breezed past Britain’s Naomi Broady on Wednesday, beating the big-serving British youngster in straight sets. Today’s win improves Kvitova’s record since coming back at the French Open to 3-1, with the Czech grass specialist looking more comfortable and confident with every additional match.
In the evening, a similar scenario played out on center court as once again a Czech player was victorious while a player named Naomi ended up on the losing end. Like namesake Broady, Naomi Osaka lost in straight sets as Lucie Safarova continues what has been a rather impressive run in Birmingham so far.
The second round of the 2017 Aegon Classic will complete on Thursday, so keep checking back to Women’s Tennis Blog for more action photos.
MORE PHOTOS FROM THE 2017 AEGON CLASSIC:
- Tuesday: Kvitova, Safarova successfully kick off their campaigns in Birmingham
- Monday: Mixed results for British players
- Sunday: Draw ceremony, Kerber’s withdrawal and qualifying action
- Saturday: WTA qualifying + Petra Kvitova’s practice session
Ashley Barty is going up the rankings slowly. I think her time off in tennis really helped her get off that pressure. I believe she’ll be a Top 50 fixture this year with her impressive results.