At the Miami Open, two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova overcame a rowdy spectator and a first-set disadvantage to defeat Romanian Sorana Cirstea 7-5 6-4 and go to the hardcourt final on her 13th appearance.
After a standard start, an audience member for Cirstea loudly applauded after Kvitova made a mistake and then another between her first and second serves in the sixth game. He was admonished by an usher for his disrespectful behaviour.
Kvitova, who was clearly upset, gave up the break point to her rival and had to regain her composure.
Can't tell you how many different emotions were going through me at this moment.
The main one? Pure joy! I'm in the @MiamiOpen final guys! pic.twitter.com/My4PW9buVF
— Petra Kvitova (@Petra_Kvitova) March 31, 2023
She told the Tennis Channel, “When I was down, I was just trying to put a ball in and I played a decent return. One fan is yelling at me. Even though I was sidetracked, I was aware that he had supported Sorana.”
Kvitova broke Cirstea in games nine and eleven after putting the interruption behind her. She then broke Cirstea once more to start the second set, raising her intensity throughout.
After defeating her in Adelaide in January, she plays Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, the Wimbledon champion from last year, in the championship match on Saturday. After winning at Indian Wells last month, Rybakina, the 10th seed, is hoping to continue her winning ways.
Wimbledon, the only Grand Slam that had previously prohibited players from Russia and its ally Belarus, announced on Friday that it would now permit them to compete as neutral athletes, lifting the restriction it had put in place following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Czech tennis player Kvitova, who won Wimbledon championships in 2011 and 2014, suggested that athletes from Belarus and Russia should also be excluded from the 2016 Summer Olympics in Paris.
“I always make it clear that I oppose war. Simply put, I’m more concerned about the people and athletes from Ukraine,” Kvitova remarked.
“I understand that Wimbledon had a difficult time last year when the points were withheld because Belarusians and Russians didn’t participate.
“They ought to be excluded from the Olympics as well. In this case, I’m still a little on the Ukrainian side.
“Definitely not in the Olympics. In my opinion, the Games exist to prevent a world war. That worries me. I’m grateful that Wimbledon passed on them in the previous year.”
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