Tennis: Kvitova upsets Rybakina to claim first Miami Open title
Petra Kvitova reacts after winning a deciding first set against Elena Rybakina in the women’s singles final on day thirteen of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. (Geoff Burke – USA TODAY Sports)
Petra Kvitova went back in time to upset Kazakhstan Elena Rybakina 7-6 (14) 6-2 on Saturday to claim his first Miami Open crown and his ninth WTA 1000 title.
The veteran Czech player, seeded 15th, ended an epic 22-minute first-set tiebreaker by converting her fifth set point when 10th-seeded Rybakina’s forehand landed in the net .
The powerful southpaw then swung freely in the second, taking a 3-0 lead and breaking hard serve Rybakina for the third time on match point.
Kvitova, 33, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014 and had recently considered retirement, put her hands to her head in amazement when Rybakina’s forehand sailed long to seal the victory.
She then went to her dressing room to kiss her fiancé, former Czech player Jiri Vanek.
Kvitova, who repelled five set points in the seesaw tiebreak, said capturing him was key to the game.
“The tiebreaker, oh my god, it was probably the longest of my career and I somehow got through it,” she said.
“She had so many aces at the start of the tie-break that I couldn’t even play. So it was really difficult and amazing.
The defeat ended Indian Wells champion Rybakina’s bid for the ‘Sunshine Double’ and ended the reigning Wimbledon champion’s 13-game winning streak.
Rybakina’s 12 aces were offset by 24 unforced errors and she won less than half of her second-serve points.
Winning her 30th career title, former world number two Kvitova will now re-enter the top 10 for the first time since September 2021.
High stakes matches tend to bring out her best and she improved to 30 wins and 11 losses in the finals.
“I love trophies, that’s probably why,” she said when asked how she raises her game in big games.
“I like to play the finals, I like to play deeper in the tournament. That’s what I like the most about tennis. I like the game itself, I like the fight.
“I also like the mental side, when you really have to think – what should you play, what shouldn’t you play.”
She said she would not change her expectations after the triumph.
“I have no goals. My goal has always been to have one title per season, so I’m already done! she said laughing.
The victory is the latest achievement for the resilient Kvitova, who required surgery for a stab wound to her racket hand she suffered in an attack by a knife-wielding intruder in 2016.
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