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Greg Garber(ESPN): "Petra Kvitova - the biggest disappointment"

13K views 118 replies 75 participants last post by  colt13 
#1 ·
"in the forth round she is playing Marion Bartoli. She beats her easily in the first and goes down 2-6, 0-6
This is a Wimbledon Champion from last year. This is a big lefty player who we expected great things of this year. She was one of those women who we thought might challenge Serena. .........Not even close.... "


http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=8364694
 
#6 ·
a year ago TF was flooded by
1) Kvitova = next player who will dominate WTA and will win all next Wimbledons
2) Kvitova will beat Masha,Vika on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
3) Kvitova will emulate Martina Navratilova
4) she has that powerful game that can challenge Serena

now - except this thread there is 0 attention to Kvitova on this forum, 0 interest from the press. Former Wimbledon Champion becomes invisible in just 9 months
 
#12 ·
I'm not sure about all that game she has. When a lot of your success relies on power and aggression, you really are going to be hit or miss. The top players who have been consistent the last few years have consistent games (Wozniacki, Serena, Azarenka, Sharapova).

If she can find a way to reel it in and work on her fitness, she will be a top 5 player for years to come. Not sure about dominating though.
 
#13 ·
Last year I expected that Kvitova would be very up and down with her grand slam performances, but instead she seems to have found consistency but lost the spark of brilliance that took her to Wimbledon/YEC titles last year.

I don't know if I'd say she's been disappointing exactly...two slam SFs, a QF and a fourth round are good results...
 
#14 ·
I dont think she had had a horrible year, it just didnt live up to expectations after being the clear #1 player of 2011. Serena's comeback proved she is easily still better than Petra at this point, even at 30. Azarenka passed Kvitova by, although we have yet to see how a head to head match between them would now go, but it doesnt matter much since Azarenka vs the field >>> Petra vs the field right now. Sharapova turned the tables on Kvitova in a big way after losing that Wimbledon final and seeing Kvitova eclipse her last year.

I think there are a number of positives. Her performance is more consistent now. Obviously she needs to look at raising the level of her game now though. She didnt so much underperform as she found out she wasnt quite as good as people were saying she was. I agree with others that improved fitness level and improved movement is the first thing. Improving that would cut down on the unforced errors too, many of those caused by imperfect footwork.
 
#16 ·
At the end of last season I'm sure very few people expected Vika and Petra to be in their respective positons - I would have thought they'd be the other way around tbh. You cannot really predict how things will play out, but I'm hopeful the Petra can make some big noise again next season, I'd even give her a good chance of defending her YEC title. On the other hand, she could fall out of the top 10. Who really knows?
 
#24 ·
On the other hand, she could fall out of the top 10. Who really knows?
Don't worry, this is very unlikely, unless she gets injured.

1) Her points are now nicely spread over the entire season, because this year she has proved that she can play well everywhere, including North American hardcourts

2) She loves tennis, has a very good character with strong family background and it's unlikely that money and fame would spoil her and divert her from tennis too much

3) And she's the youngest player in the top 10 (the only one born in 1990s) so there's still lots of room/time for improvement
 
#20 ·
Kvitova is technical one of the most complete players ever and obviously one of the most talented players in the world.

Pretty much everybody expected her to get to the # 1 spot at the beginning of the year. She was so close.

She played a solid season but that was not what we expected from her.

I expected her to dominate the tour for years and step into Williams shoes.

So yes - a top 5 ranking for a player with that potential is very disappointing!!
 
#21 ·
Agree.

And I don't think people should compare her to Navratilova! Martina had that special determination Petra appears to lack. I saw her at Wimbledon and was disappointed.

Many years ago I thought Svetlana was going to be the next Navratilova and look what happened! I think Peyra will have a similar career: respectableish but overall disappointing.
 
#22 ·
I am a huge fan of Petra, but this season has been a big disappointment. The close losses to Masha, and the losses to players she beat handily just weeks or days before (Bartoli, Kerber) are utterly annoying.

I want her to dominate, and I want a rivalry with Serena. Until that happens, and until she wins more slams, she will just be a very nice and likable disappointment.
 
#23 ·
She's still a great player and she will definitely have a lot of success in the future. This year is probably a good thing in a way because all the bandwagoners are gone.

I still find it funny though how some people were calling her the next Monica Seles after the YEC last year. She will never be duplicated.
 
#25 ·
It ain't even about results...Petra disappointed MENTALLY. She has NO fight in her. As long as the going gets tough, she folds..
 
#30 ·
I've often felt she was on the cusp of either a Mary Pierce or Lindsay Davenport career. Let's see where she goes between these two options before we start seeing her scale the heights of a Navratilova or Serena.

Meanwhile, if I were on her team I'd help her see that this year was not a disappointment. Very hard to back up a first-slam-winning year and she did well. Now, she needs to use the off-season to become one of the fittest in the top ten. She needs to know that she can win extended rallies over three sets and three hours. Right now, she's not convinced and neither are her opponents.

....
 
#31 ·
At first, I thought Garber would have said Wozniacki being the biggest disappointment. Therefore, I do not agree with Garber on his analysis as she was still battling in the 2nd week of all Slams and did not have any bad losses.
 
#32 · (Edited)
By the way, it's quite worth to mention that in tennis draw can seriously influence players achievements and even career development

Kvitova is 3-0 vs Radwanska and 4-2 (winning last 4 matches)vs Azarenka but was in Sharapova's half at AO, FO, Olympics and US Open and in Serena's quarter at Wimbledon ......


At first, I thought Garber would have said Wozniacki being the biggest disappointment. Therefore, I do not agree with Garber on his analysis as she was still battling in the 2nd week of all Slams and did not have any bad losses.
Nobody was waiting anything miraculous from Wozniacki. She was the biggest disappointment when was holding her №1 position but not meeting expectation of her fans and tennis world at Slams.
 
#34 ·
Well given the YEC final last year everyone expected both Kvitova and Azarenka to dominate. It nearly happened if it weren't for Sharapova who seems to have Petra very well figured out nowadays. I still believe she will achieve much greater things in the near future but it seems Azarenka and Sharapova have become the dominant forces of the tour, with Our Lord Serena Williams having a firm grasp on their wigs. So it's really a case of Petra not having any room to ascend the rankings right now.

I hope we get one Azarenka-Kvitova match this year. It would be even greater if it happened at the YEC. Azarenka doesn't bother Kvitova AT ALL, and that match-up is quite fascinating. I would expect Petra to routine her again (after falling asleep in the 2nd set like she always does against Azarenka).
 
#39 ·
Well that's partially true..but if Petra's dependant on luck of the draw to go far in tourneys, then it ain't good either. She has to cherish these battles..and I think she isn't always up to the challenge. When she's on, she's on..but she's to learn to win when she isn't on.
 
#36 ·
In retrospect I'd say kvitova has had a solid year, making SF in 2 of the 4 slams and two titles won. That is more than acceptable for a top 5 player. She has never been a force on North American HC until she sort of became one this year, oddly. (Lol) But i suspect that has more to do with the big three not playing warm-up tournaments leading up to the US Open. Assuming she makes the YEC she will be indoors, her best surface and I expect her to put up respectable results again, maybe even win. I don't foresee Kvitova as a dominant player ever, fitness and consistency will always be an issue for her as well as motivation.
 
#38 ·
Transition year, that's what's happening. Next year she has no pressure. Plus she overplayed in the US Open series this year, she looked exhausted in NY...
 
#42 ·
For Petra this year was pretty good and consistent plus she finally done great in US but being Petra's fan for me disappointment was how she carelessly screwed up start of the season catching stupid cold which lead to disrupted conditioning rhythm what was cause to some injuries and slow start of the year and some easy losses later, also that's why general media forgot about her because there were bigger news to report like 26-0 run by Vika, Pova's career GS, super awesome summer by Rena
 
#45 ·
For Petra this year was pretty good and consistent plus she finally done great in US but being Petra's fan for me disappointment was how she carelessly screwed up start of the season catching stupid cold which lead to disrupted conditioning rhythm what was cause to some injuries and slow start of the year and some easy losses later, also that's why general media forgot about her because there were bigger news to report like 26-0 run by Vika, Pova's career GS, super awesome summer by Rena
They gave Petra all the publicity they needed at the end of the year, and she didn't deliver. Simple as that.

These reporters are not going to go out on a limb, then continually appear like fools with a player with only one major. That's not how it works

You make the news, when you win. Petra didn't win many majors.

I'm sure if she does next year, things will change again. In addition, she wouldn't be a disappointment, if they didn't expect much to begin with. So in a way, that's a good thing.

Call it a building block/transitional year.

And you're right about the start of her year. What the hell was her team doing sometimes, and does she hire as needed or have a full time hitting partner? I don't think she does, and if that's the case, that reprehensible for a top player that can afford it.

Her team and activities needs to be sorted out. I'm starting to wonder, if one of the reasons she did better last year, was because Adam was able to hit with her sometimes? :eek:
 
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