Petra Kvitova rebounded from recent lows and cruised to her second Madrid Open title with a commanding 6-1 6-2 victory over Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova on Saturday.
The 2011 winner, seeded fourth in Mutua this year, blasted off some terrific powerful strokes which proved too much for Kuznetsova to handle amidst the latter’s thigh problem.
Kuznetsova, a former world No. 2 unseeded at the premier clay event, took a medical timeout after dropping the first set and resumed play with strapping on her left thigh.
Fresh from accounting for world No. 1 Serena Williams in Friday’s semi-final, Czech’s Kvitova was nonetheless brimming with confidence, making a walk of the one-sided final in 66 minutes.
“It was an amazing week for me and I am really happy to win for a second time on this beautiful court,” the 25-year-old, who became the first player to beat Williams this year and ended the American’s 27-match winning run, told fans at the futuristic Magic Box Arena.
“I know that Svetlana wasn’t ready properly and I don’t think she is feeling very well so I wish her good luck.”
Victory means the two-time Wimbledon champion, who has now won her 16th WTA title, will go from No. 15 to 6 in the race to the year-end WTA world Tour finals in Singapore. She is now 16-5 in career WTA finals.
She did not compete in Indian Wells and Miami earlier this year due to exhaustion, as well as suffering a second-round exit on indoor clay in Stuttgart last month.
“I think I’m probably the kind of person who likes to play these kinds of big matches, to play the finals, the big tournaments, the Grand Slams, playing on the big stadiums,” Kvitova is quoted as saying on WTA website. “Finals are why we’re all playing tennis. We want to win the big tournaments and see these beautiful trophies.
“So that’s probably why it’s more motivation for me when I’m playing finals.”
