The Czech Republic team of Petra Kvitova and Tomas Berdych has entered the final of the 2012 Hopman Cup. Kvitova defeated Caroline Wozniacki 7-6, 3-6, 6-4, and Berdych then won his singles match, which clinched the finalist spot for his country. Kvitova wasn't easy to watch, I should add. She made so many unforced errors and missed so many opportunities, and the match dragged on and on. This was the "old" Kvitova, but with a twist: When it came time to win huge points and make a difference, she just focused and took care of the task. Not a good career strategy, but at least she knows how to do it.
On the other hand, one could say that--with all the opportunities handed to her on a platter by Kvitova--Wozniacki still lost the match. For the first two sets, however, Wozniacki was quite impressive, sometimes taking the ball fast and returning with more aggression than we've come to expect from her.
Kvitova looked tired to me, and I have to wonder whether playing Sydney is a good idea. Wozniacki, however, looked like her indefatigable self throughout the match.
Kvitova was fighting her asthma, always a problem in hot, humid settings. And, Wozniacki served the lights out, at 82% first serves. Moreover, great retriever that she is, she got numerous framed or mishit balls back, and that is especially tough for an opponent, due to odd bounces and unpredictable spins that such shots have.
ReplyDeleteThanks much for the details. I had some trouble viewing the match--technical problems--so I couldn't see everything. But I wondered about Kvitova's asthma; she seemed to be having some sort of difficulty. I thought Wozniacki looked pretty good through most of the match--yes, the serves were impressive.
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