Kvitova ready to shoulder the pressure of being champion

Tuesday, 8 July 2014 00:55 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

REUTERS: The Venus Rosewater Dish proved to be something of a poisoned chalice for Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova after her 2011 win but she says the difficult experience means she is now ready to cope with the pressure of a second title win. The sixth-seeded Czech produced her best tennis on Centre Court on Saturday to dispatch a rising talent of the women’s game, Eugenie Bouchard, 6-3 6-0 in just 55 minutes. Her demolition of the Canadian meant she repeated her triumph at the All England Club after three years of disappointing performances at major championships. Kvitova said the pressure of that first title as a 21-year-old weighed heavily on her shoulders, but she was now much better prepared for the expectations that come with being a Wimbledon champion. “There were ups and downs in the three years since I won here,” she told reporters. “There were times I didn’t think I could ever win another grand slam. “The worse thing was the expectation, from me and the (people) outside, to play well. “I know how it feels to play as a Wimbledon champion in the next tournament now. I didn’t do so well last time so I want to be more prepared for the next match. It was something new for me then but I will know how it feels and deal with it better now.” Kvitova, who will rise to fourth in the rankings after Saturday’s win, reached the semi-finals of the Australian and French Opens in the year following her first Wimbledon win but failed to make the final four in the subsequent eight majors she competed in. She credits her sports psychologist Michal Safar with helping her maintain her intensity through the seven rounds of this year’s tournament.