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A18 SPORTS
Thursday 22 June 2017
Kvitova puts on confident display in Birmingham

BIRMINGHAM, England There were some double
(AP) — Two-time Wimble- faults, but when Kvitova
don champion Petra Kvito- needed to serve well she
va produced her most en- did so, and at the end she
couraging result since re- was loudly cheered.
turning from a knife attack “I am trying to find my best
to advance to the quarter- each time I play,” Kvitova
finals of the Aegon Classic, said. “I am here to play ten-
a Wimbledon warmup tour- nis and on the grass that I
nament. love. My tournament isn’t
The left-handed Czech hit finished yet, for which I am
25 winners with 11 unforced really glad.”
errors as she easily beat Kvitova will play either Kris-
fellow wild card Naomi tina Mladenovic, the fifth-
Broady of Britain 6-2, 6-2 on seeded French player who
Wednesday. ended Garbine Muguru-
Kvitova only recently re- za’s French Open title de-
turned to action after suf- Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova returns a shot to Great Britain’s Naomi Broady during day three of fense 2 1/2 weeks ago, or
fering a serious injury to her the tennis Classic at Edgbaston Priory, Birmingham, England, Wednesday June 21, 2017. 31st-ranked Chinese Shuai
left hand — when she was Associated Press Zhang. Barbora Strycova,
stabbed by an intruder last as nervous as I was before.” ed I don’t want to change missing a few things, but I the eighth-seeded Czech
year at her home in the There were few signs of anything,” the seventh- am getting there. It could and twice a runner-up
Czech Republic — playing obvious discomfort in the seeded Kvitova said. take six months or a year. here, was beaten 6-3, 3-6,
two matches on clay at the hour-long match for Kvi- “I kept the same grip. I am No one can tell how long it 6-1 by 21-year-old Austra-
French Open. tova. glad I made that decision. will take.” lian Ashleigh Barty.
“I have a little bit different “When I started playing If I had changed anything, Kvitova hit some raking Ninth-seeded Daria Gavr-
view for tennis right now (again) we had a discus- even small, in the hand or ground strokes, gradually ilova of Australia survived
and for matches,” Kvitova sion with the coach as to in the racket, it might bring made some enterprising a tough challenge to beat
said. “When I’m playing, whether I should change injuries. With different tech- net plays, and widened her Katerina Siniakova of the
I’m just a little bit more re- something - a bigger grip, niques it becomes tough. range of tactical choices Czech Republic 7-5, 2-6,
laxed, I think, and I’m not or a softer grip. But I decid- “It’s still improving. I am as her confidence grew. 6-4.q