Petra Kvitova continues with her slump of form this season: (Part Two) – Tennis Special
Kvitova ended the 2011 season at her prime form and was expected to continue her winning feats in the current year. She took off as the world number two and took part in the season-opening Apia international Sydney tournament,
losing in the semi-final round at the hands of Li Na. She had another amazing Grand Slam run at the Australian Open in Melbourne and forced her way up to the semi-finals.
The Czech youngster had a golden opportunity to claim the world number one spot by winning the Grand Slam Down Under but she had to face Maria Sharapova in the semis. Kvitova was anticipated to repeat her Wimbledon Championship
feat but it was the payback time for the Russian beauty queen. Sharapova hunted her down in three sets to fade her dream of clinching the number one spot in the WTA Premier Rankings.
Her success in the Fed Cup continued in the new WTA season and she assisted Team Czech Republic to bag victory against the German squad by winning her singles matches against Julia Goerges and Sabine Lisicki. Her bad patch at the
Indian Wells Masters continued and she was ousted in the third round at the hands of the 35th ranked underdog, Christina McHale. Miami Masters tournament was another disappointment for Kvitova, as she has to suffer a first-round exit from the former
world number one, Venus Williams.
Kvitova continued to win her matches in the Fed Cup campaigns and this time it was Team Italy which suffered two setbacks when the Czech number one outplayed Francesca Schiavone and Sara Errani in the singles rubbers.
While Kvitova brilliantly sustained her high class at the Fed Cup competitions, her form on the WTA Tour kept falling and she slipped down to the number four spot after her semi-final loss to Sharapova in Stuttgart. She was the
defending champion at the Madrid Masters but was stunned by the then 105th ranked fellow compatriot, Lucie Hradecka, in the second round. A quarter-final defeat at the Rome Masters proved well in her preparations for the 2012 Roland Garros.
Kvitova was brilliant at the French open and reached the semi-final round, only to be defeated by her arch nemesis, Sharapova in twin sets, 6-3, 6-3. Huge hopes were associated to the 22-year-old Czech when she stepped on the grass
courts of Wimbledon to defend her only Grand Slam title. She cleared the initial four rounds with ease before she had to go through the ultimate test in the quarter-final. She faced the American powerhouse, Serena Williams, who raced past her with commanding
ease to end her title defence in dismay.
The Czech fell to the world number six spot as Serena won the Wimbledon Championships yet another time. Kvitova was the flag bearer of Czech Republic in the great Olympic Games in London but could only manage to reach the quarter-final
round, falling to Maria Kirilenko of Russia.
Kvitova is no doubt one of the most talented youngsters in the professional circuit but her career has been hugely affected by persistent shoulder and back injuries. She has not show her true spark even in a single tournament this
season and looks rusty all the way. The Czech number one needs to fix her fitness problems and she could be as devastating as any other top ranked player on her day.
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