Petra Kvitova gave holders Czech Republic a 2-0 lead in the Fed Cup final on Saturday after beating Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 6-1.
The left-handed Kvitova, the world No. 8 and the Czech Republic’s No. 1 player, is still recovering from a cold that forced her to pull out of the WTA Championship last week.
However, she only needed 1 hour, 20 minutes to see off Jankovic, the world No. 22 and Serbia’s No. 2.
Despite her sickness, Kvitova said she felt “very comfortable.”
“I didn’t know what I could expect from myself on the court from the beginning and at the end, I really wanted the match to be over,” said Kvitova, who dominated the game, relying on a first serve that Jankovic could not resist.
“Actually I’m surprised [at] how I played,” Kvitova said.
Jankovic “didn’t make mistakes [at first] and I knew some chance will come and that I’ll wait for it, and it really came,” she added.
In the first rubber of the final, Lucie Safarova had earlier given the Czechs the lead by beating Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-3.
Safarova, the world No. 17, needed 1 hour, 41 minutes to sink world No. 12 Ivanovic — Kvitova’s rival for yesterday’s first reverse singles.
TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
AP, SOFIA
Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki reached the Tournament of Champions final after beating Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4, 6-1 on Saturday.
In yesterday’s final, Wozniacki was scheduled to play the second-seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia, who defeated Roberta Vinci of Italy 6-7, 6-1, 6-4 in a dramatic match that lasted 2 hours, 42 minutes.
Supported by an enthusiastic crowd in Sofia’s Arena Armeec Hall, Pironkova matched Wozniacki at the start of the first set, but from 4-4 the Dane won seven consecutive games to lead 6-4, 5-0.
Playing for her third WTA title of the year in her fourth final has ensured Wozniacki is to return to the top 10 when the rankings are updated today. She is to rise from No. 11 to No. 10, swapping with Marion Bartoli.
Petrova will also be trying for her third title of the year. She has lost her last four matches with Wozniacki.
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