WUHAN, China - Two-time former champion Petra Kvitova was back to her winning ways in Wuhan, needing two sets to edge past Polona Hercog and kick off her 2019 campaign at the Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open.

“I’m happy with my win,” Kvitova told wtatennis.com. “It was a tough one and I’m glad that after everything I’ve been through, it’s a good start.” 

Wuhan is one of Kvitova’s happiest hunting grounds, having won two titles here - in 2014 and 2016 - from the five previous editions of the tournament and amassing an impressive 14-3 record. 

Read more: 'Every time I'm here I show my best level' - Defending champ Sabalenka cruises past Collins in Wuhan

That makes it the perfect place for the Czech lefty to regain her rhythm: after a red-hot first half of the year, highlighted by lifting trophies in Sydney and Stuttgart as well as an appearance in the Australian Open final, she’s stalled out a bit during the North American hardcourt swing as she’s struggled with a forearm injury. She played only two tournaments, falling the opening round of Cincinnati and second round of the US Open.

In Wuhan, Kvitova had to weather a high level from Hercog during a tightly contested opening set - where there were no break points on offer at all - and edge through in a tiebreak before taking control of the match, winning 7-6(6), 6-3. 

Kvitova and Hercog’s second-round clash unfolded in a similar fashion to the pair’s lone previous meeting more than seven years ago, when Kvitova took down Hercog 7-6(6), 6-1 at the 2012 US Open. Much like that match, both players were dialed in from the start and neither player allowed the other any break chances. 

Kvitova, who was serving second, faced scoreboard pressure as the set continued to unfold, trailing in her service game at 5-4 and recovered from 0-30 down a game later as she held for 6-6 to force a tiebreak.

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Hercog continued to apply the pressure, and stayed toe to toe with Kvitova during the decider - even holding a set point at 6-5. But Kvitova quickly flipped the script to get them back level, and a Hercog double fault handed her the set point at 7-6. The Czech employed a rare serve and volley tactic to take the set after a hard-fought 62 minutes.  

“You know, I thought that especially for Polona, when I hit a really good serve to her backhand it’s a good chance for me [to serve and volley], because she definitely has a better forehand,” Kvitova explained. 

“So I just tried it... Once I nearly missed it in the tiebreak, in the second point which was going out, but I was still trying to play it. Which was pretty stupid, but okay. Luckily I was happy today that it worked.”


It was one-way traffic for the Czech in the second set - although Hercog did well to stay apace of the two-time Grand Slam winner across the net. Kvitova earned her first break chance at 1-0 before converting at 4-2. Kvitova closed out the match on her third match point, serving out the victory in an hour and 43 minutes.

“It was a good performance, definitely, especially in the first set when I was on serve and then I was down in the tiebreak but I was still able to make it somehow,” Kvitova told journalists in her post-match press conference.  

“I’m not pretty sure how, but I think I was just really going for every shot. That’s probably what made the difference in the first set and of course was the key for the second as well.”  

Back into the third round in Wuhan, Kvitova awaits the winner between former US Open champion Sloane Stephens, the No.10 seed and China’s Wang Yafan for a spot in the quarterfinals.