TENNIS NEWS - Czech tennis star Petra Kvitova says a year on from being the victim of a horrific knife attack she can look to the future positively having successfully returned to the WTA circuit.
The 27-year-old two-time Wimbledon champion defied expectations in returning to competition despite suffering serious wounds to her playing left hand as she fought off a knife-wielding intruder at her home in the eastern Czech town of Prostejov in December 2016.
However, within months she had not only made a comeback but also won a title – the pre-Wimbledon tune-up event in Birmingham – and rounded off the Grand Slams with a quarterfinal appearance in the US Open.
"Playing on the grass at Wimbledon (where she reached the second round) and getting a good result in the US Open was very important for me mentally, and for my confidence," Kvitova told The Guardian newspaper.
"This year has been a rollercoaster. The beginning wasn't very nice, so I'm really glad that it's over. Now I can look at everything positively again."
Kvitova – who reached a career-high ranking of second in the world in December 2011 – says she shrugged aside fears she would never play again.
"I did hear the rumours that I would never ever play again but I thought: 'I will show them'," said Kvitova, who has been playing since she was four.
