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28 March 2024

Wimbledon women's singles final: Kvitova hands Bouchard royal thumping

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By Correspondent and Agencies

Petra Kvitova produced a majestic performance to end Eugenie Bouchard's hopes of becoming the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam title with a 6-3 6-0 win in the Wimbledon final on Saturday.

Much had been made of Bouchard's raw power and determination to triumph in what she calls the "Temple of Tennis" but the 20-year-old was unable to cope with sixth seed Kvitova's more varied attacking style.

"I had great tactics from my coach - he always knows how I need to play," Kvitova told the crowd during the presentation ceremony after hoisting the Rosewater Dish for the second time in four years.

"After three years to be back here with the trophy is so special."

Bouchard was watched from the Royal Box by the British princess she had been named after but the occasion of playing in her first major final appeared to overwhelm the 13th seed.

Kvitova hit rip-roaring winners left, right and centre to win the most one-sided final since Steffi Graf also dropped only three games against Monica Seles in 1992.

Bouchard dropped serve in the fourth game after Kvitova hit a scoring crosscourt winner to end an entertaining rally that had sent both players scampering around the court.

Kvitova's only blip during a 55-minute demolition job was when she first attempted to serve out the set at 5-2. She dropped her serve but then broke her rival in the next game with a thumping return.

The crowd tried to lift Bouchard's sagging spirits with cries of "Come on Genie" but left-hander Kvitova simply went into overdrive in the second, winning it in 22 blistering minutes, and ended her victim's ordeal with a sizzling backhand crosscourt winner.

"It was just amazing. You always dream as a player to play your best tennis on the biggest stage and that was a thing of beauty," summed up former Wimbledon champion Lindsay Davenport.

"You can't even blame Bouchard because she didn't play badly but she just didn't get the chance to play because Kvitova didn't allow her to. I don't think anyone would have been able to play her today.

"Bouchard tried everything but Kvitova didn't miss anything."

It was the quickest final since Martina Navratilova took 54 minutes to wallop American Andrea Jaeger 6-0 6-3 in 1983.

SECOND SET: KVITOVA 6 BOUCHARD 0

Petra Kvitova produced a majestic performance to end Eugenie Bouchard's hopes of becoming the first Canadian to win a grand slam title with a 6-3 6-0 win in the Wimbledon final on Saturday.

The Czech captured her second title at the All England Club having also lifted the Rosewater Dish in 2011.

Much had been made of Bouchard's raw power and determination to triumph in what she calls the "Temple of Tennis" but the 20-year-old was unable to cope with sixth seed Kvitova's more varied attacking style.

Bouchard was watched from the Royal Box by the British princess she had been named after but the occasion of playing in her first major final appeared to overwhelm the 13th seed.

Kvitova hit rip-roaring winners left, right and centre to win the most one-sided final since Steffi Graf also dropped only three games against Monica Seles in 1992.

That's it, it's all over for Bouchard as Kvitova does not drop a single game to seal the second set, match and championship. She earned a single match point which she took with a perfect backhand winner. Kvitova 6 Bouchard 0

It's all going easy for Kvitova as she wraps up the game comfortably. Bouchard has one last chance for a fight back. Kvitova 5 Bouchard 0

BREAK!
The pressure seems to be getting on to Bouchard. Thanks to a few unforced errors from Kvitova, Bouchard surges ahead but the Czech fires some stunning winners to win four straight points to force a break. Kvitova 4 Bouchard 0

Kvitova continues to dominate to lead 40-15 but Bouchard is trying hard as she pushes the game to deuce. Kvitova's strong serves ensures she holds on to her serve.
Kvitova 3 Bouchard 0

BREAK!
Clearly Bouchard seems to be struggling to find her game against Kvitova. The Czech takes a double break point before Bouchard manages to save only one. Kvitova 2 Bouchard 0

No time wasted there as Kvitova begins her campaign well winning her first games of second set with four straight points. Kvitova 1 Bouchard 0

FIRST SET: BOUCHARD 3 KVITOVA 6

Petra Kvitova stood just one set away from lifting a second Wimbledon title after she outclassed Canada's Eugenie Bouchard 6-3 in the opening set of the final on Centre Court on Saturday.

Much had been made of Bouchard's raw power and determination to triumph in what she calls the "Temple of Tennis" but she was unable to cope with Czech sixth seed Kvitova's more varied attacking style.

Bouchard, who was watched from the Royal Box by the British princess she had been named after, dropped serve in the fourth game after Kvitova hit a scoring crosscourt winner to end an entertaining rally that had sent both players scampering around the court.

Kvitova was broken when she first attempted to serve out the set at 5-2 but then broke her 20-year-old rival in the next game with a thumping service return.

BREAK! Kvitova does not let it slip as some amazing returns ensures she grabs a quick triple break point advantage. Bouchard manages to save two of them before Kvitova seals the game and set. Bouchard 3 Kvitova 6

BREAK!
Bouchard suddenly looks to be putting a strong fight. She earns two break points and successfully converts the first one to force a break. Bouchard 3 Kvitova 6

BREAK!
Kvitova in supreme command as Bouchard is left with no answers. The Czech takes the first two points to lead 0-30 before earning herself a double break point. Takes the break in the first. Bouchard 2 Kvitova 5

Kvitova sends in some strong serves as she comfortably holds her game dropping just a single point courtesy a double fault. Bouchard 2 Kvitova 4

Bouchard seems to be struggling as she is finding it hard to cope with the top quality tennis from her opponent. Down 0-30 she hands Kvitova a double break point but manages to save both of them before she keeps the serve after a long battle. Bouchard 2 Kvitova 3

It's going all easy for Kvitova at the moment. She is serving well and getting her baseline shots to perfection to go 40-15 ahead. But Bouchard fights back to take the game to deuce. Kvitova plays some stunning tennis to take a crucial point to hold her game. Bouchard 1 Kvitova 3

BREAK!
Bouchard's getting her serves well but Kvitova is putting a serious fight with some impressive winners as she levels 30-all and then earns a break point. Kvitova gets another couple of them to take the first break. Bouchard 1 Kvitova 2

Kvitova also hardly wastes any time to seal her first game to go level. Bouchard 1 Kvitova 1

Bouchard gets going immediately as she holds her serve but not quite comfortably as she drops two points. Bouchard 1 Kvitova 0

Kvitova and Bouchard met once before: at the Canadian Open in August 2013 when the former won 6-3 6-2 in Round two.

Kvitova is aiming to become just the fourth multiple Wimbledon women's singles champion since 1990.

This will be the 1st Slam final featuring two players born in the 1990s.

In her road to the final in Wimbledon, Kvitova hasn't met a single opponent ranked inside the world's top 10.

For the third successive year the first three Grand Slams will be won by three different players in 2014: Li Na (AusOpen) and Maria Sharapova (French)

Bouchard is 13th seed. In the Open Era, only Bartoli, Sharapova and Venus Williams won Wimbledon as a non-Top 10 seed.

PREVIEW

Eugenie Bouchard will become an overnight phenomenon and multi-million dollar superstar if she defeats Petra Kvitova in Saturday's Wimbledon final.

Exactly 10 years to the day when 17-year-old Maria Sharapova blitzed Serena Williams on Centre Court, the same fate awaits the 20-year-old, the first Canadian in history to reach a Grand Slam singles final.

The comparisons between Bouchard and Sharapova are impossible to avoid. Both are tall, blonde and photogenic with the composed and self-confident high-profiles slavishly courted by blue-chip suitors desperate for endorsement.

But Bouchard refuses to get ahead of herself. "First and foremost I focus on the tennis. Whatever comes with it, I take in my stride. I know it's part of the job and I appreciate everything that comes with it," said the Montreal native who will pocket more than $3 million if she triumphs on Saturday.

"But I know if I don't perform on the court then there's not much off court. So I really try to focus on my job, because at the end of the day I'm a tennis player.

"I go to work every day and I work on my tennis. As long as I do that, you know, I'll take anything that comes with it."

Bouchard's royalty-obsessed mother named her after the younger daughter of Prince Andrew, Queen Elizabeth II's second son, while her twin sister is named after Beatrice, Andrew's elder daughter.

Those regal connections have earned Bouchard plenty of attention throughout her march to a first Grand Slam final and the 13th seed would dearly love a royal audience with the Duchess of Kent, who presents the Venus Rosewater dish awarded to the women's singles champion at the All England Club.

After falling at the semifinal stage of both the Australian and French Opens this year, Bouchard could have been forgiven for embarking on a jubilant celebration following her victory over world number three Simona Halep in Thursday's last four clash.

But like the royals idolised by her mother, Bouchard carries herself with a serene disposition and when she finally clinched victory on her sixth match point, she only briefly raised her arms and gave a small fist pump.

Bouchard, the junior Wimbledon champion only two years ago, holds herself to high standards and becoming the first Canadian to reach a Grand Slam final is nothing more than she expected, so she will save any real celebrations for if she wins the title this weekend.

"I'm proud of what I've accomplished, but the job is not over," she said.

"I started playing tennis at five years old and I was nine when I decided I wanted to do it professionally. Since that age I dreamt of winning a Grand Slam.

"It's been a long time in the making, for it to finally come together, all the hard work, the talent I know I have, the effort I put in, for it to produce results on the match court.

"It's not just an overnight thing. I've been believing in myself more and more."

Another thing Bouchard appears to have in common with Sharapova is her decision not to engage much with her fellow players.

While Bouchard admits to falling out with British star Laura Robson recently, 2011 champion Kvitova is a more popular figure among her peers.

And the Czech's rather cold comments about the Canadian hinted at an undercurrent of tension between the finalists.

"I have many friends on the tour. Of course I think it is possible," said Kvitova, who has dropped just one set en route to the final.

"I'm glad that I have a friends here. I don't know her (Bouchard). I just know how she's playing, and that's it. We are not really talking to each other."