[ShiftyFella]

Originally Posted by Petronius

I think it would be actually great, if Petra performed excellent at YEC without any match practice.

Just like Sharapova before AO and UO (finals, semis) or Azarenka before W and UO (semis, finals).

Keepin' my fingers crossed

People call her The Indoor Queen not for nothing

[Petronius]

Originally Posted by ShiftyFella

People call her The Indoor Queen not for nothing

Yup. Making it far or winning in Turkey without warmup would cement her Indoor Queen status even more.

I'm curious if Sharpie can serve as great as during the Stuttgart indoor tournament.

[Excelscior]

Originally Posted by ShiftyFella

People call her The Indoor Queen not for nothing

Petra's not the Indoor Queen. She was just the Inform Queen. That's all.

Yes, indoor helps her game in theory (serve, timing on her strokes and her courage to go the net more). However, if Petra lacks confidence, timing, execution and brain power, she'll be good for dead there as elsewhere. Trust me.

[ShiftyFella]

Originally Posted by Excelscior

Petra's not the Indoor Queen. She was just the Inform Queen. That's all.

Yes, indoor helps her game in theory (serve, timing on her strokes and her courage to go the net more). However, if Petra lacks confidence, timing, execution and brain power, she'll be good for dead there as elsewhere. Trust me.

Sorry but you wrong, Petra is 88-22 all time on indoor hc and this is her best results out of any surfaces, even Serena has worse results on in.hc. Petra currently undefeated there, 21-0 in 2011 and 8-0 this year, I have all confidence in the world in Petra playing on indoor hc.

[Excelscior]

Originally Posted by ShiftyFella

Sorry but you wrong, Petra is 88-22 all time on indoor hc and this is her best results out of any surfaces, even Serena has worse results on in.hc. Petra currently undefeated there, 21-0 in 2011 and 8-0 this year, I have all confidence in the world in Petra playing on indoor hc.

OK.

We'll see.

I didn't help her in Tokyo--on a fast court even.

Just so you know, it was reported that the roof was closed there (though I didn't watch the match).

I hope you're right.

[netphobia]

Thing is though she's beatable by the likes of Martic/Makarova when she's not on. When she is on, the only person who can challenge her is Serena.

[Excelscior]

Originally Posted by netphobia

Thing is though she's beatable by the likes of Martic/Makarova when she's not on. When she is on, the only person who can challenge her is Serena.

Exactly.

Indoor or not, Petra can lose to anyone when she's not confident-especially this year/this time of year. We'll see?

[ShiftyFella]

It was reported that she had some problems with her health there too but i guess it's more about difference in "feel" between indoor venue and ones with retractable roof. Actually i'm surprised by Petra's poor record on grass, she's only 25-10 all time even Vika\Aga have more matches there, i guess that's why everyone was surprised by her Wimby win

[Excelscior]

Originally Posted by ShiftyFella

It was reported that she had some problems with her health there too but i guess it's more about difference in "feel" between indoor venue and ones with retractable roof. Actually i'm surprised by Petra's poor record on grass, she's only 25-10 all time even Vika\Aga have more matches there, i guess that's why everyone was surprised by her Wimby win

She hadn't won a match at Wimbledon before 2010. She may not had even won a match on grass before Wimbledon.

Which is my point, exactly. Just because a surface suits Petra and/or she has historical results, it doesn't mean you can count on it. Petra's form, confidence and focus have to all be hand in hand.

Petra could have also been injured or tired around the time grass season rolled around pre-2010 as well. That may have affected her results.

[steni]

Originally Posted by Excelscior

Exactly.

Indoor or not, Petra can lose to anyone when she's not confident-especially this year/this time of year. We'll see?

Or when she doesnt give a f***

[Excelscior]

Originally Posted by steni

Or when she doesnt give a f***

Oh yeah. I forgot that.

[ShiftyFella]

Originally Posted by Excelscior

She hadn't won a match at Wimbledon before 2010. She may not had even won a match on grass before Wimbledon.

Which is my point, exactly. Just because a surface suits Petra and/or she has historical results, it doesn't mean you can count on it. Petra's form, confidence and focus have to all be hand in hand.

Petra could have also been injured or tired around the time grass season rolled around pre-2010 as well. That may have affected her results.

My point was that Petra is more familiar with in.hc surface and supposedly plays more confident because of it and that is why she had success there,we all know if she's not confident she is not wining.

just for fun, looked up stats on grass before 2010 she is 2-4 after 23-6

udp
jff#2 Azarenka post 2010 has same record on grass as Petra

[netphobia]

Originally Posted by Excelscior

Which is my point, exactly. Just because a surface suits Petra and/or she has historical results, it doesn't mean you can count on it. Petra's form, confidence and focus have to all be hand in hand.

ITA

I remember reading some interview where she mentioned her confidence on NA HC being really low, despite having just won Montréal, so she played all 900000 US Open series weeks...which resulted in her being exhausted by 4R of US Open.

Form/confidence/focus/conditions/etc... it's quite a delicate balance isn't it but she has never struck me as a Serena-type who plays her best tennis under pressure.

[Excelscior]

Originally Posted by ShiftyFella

My point was that Petra is more familiar with in.hc surface and supposedly plays more confident because of it and that is why she had success there,we all know if she's not confident she is not wining.

just for fun, looked up stats on grass before 2010 she is 2-4 after 23-6

udp
jff#2 Azarenka post 2010 has same record on grass as Petra

Yeah, look at Petra vs Makiri in the Olympics.

How disappointing.

Makiri stayed close, while Petra wasn't playing great, and she blinked--late into the match.

[steni]

Kvitova Gears Up For Final Flourish
http://www.wtatennis.com/page/OffCou...947169,00.html

This year has seen Petra Kvitova pick up two titles, make the last four at two majors and come within a whisker of capturing the World No.1 ranking. However, if the season was to end today, by her very high standards, Kvitova would probably look back upon it with a tinge of regret.

Luckily, it doesn't, and with the TEB BNP Paribas WTA Championships - Istanbul 2012 and the Fed Cup final still to come, Kvitova has every chance of turning a good season into a great one.

Twelve months ago, Kvitova confirmed her status as one of tennis' most exciting prospects by embarking on a 12-match win streak that helped her end the Czech Republic's 23-year wait for a Fed Cup triumph and take home titles in Linz and Istanbul.

It is fair to say, then, that the 22-year-old is a fan of the WTA's whistle-stop tour of Europe's indoor halls and arenas each October.

"I enjoy this time of season, indoors, the Championships and then of course the Fed Cup final," Kvitova said. "It's really important for me to finish 2012 on a high.

"This year I qualified for the Championships without winning a Grand Slam, and it's great to be there again for confidence going into 2013. I still have a lot to improve."

After a momentum-building run during the North American hardcourt season, Kvitova hit a bit of a bump in the road in Asia last month, with early exits in both Tokyo and Beijing. A mystery stomach bug contributed to the second of these defeats and saw her make an earlier-than-expected return home.

Now, with a clean bill of health, Kvitova plans to spend the next week or so alongside coach David Kotyza on the indoor courts of her home club in Prostejov, adding the final touches to her preparations for Istanbul and the Fed Cup final against Serbia.

Kotyza is looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead, not just in Istanbul but for 2013 and beyond, and believes the best is yet to come from his talented young charge.

"I am very proud of Petra," Kotyza said. "She is always trying to be better, every day, sometimes with success and sometimes not.

"But it doesn't matter, after her unbelievable 2011, there are a lot of people around her who take the success as a norm, but it is not possible. She is well grounded, but she is still very young and needs time to progress further.

"Before Istanbul, we will concentrate mostly on her indoor fundamentals: serve, return, aggressive play from the baseline with transition shots. We are looking forward to it and believe we can achieve a positive end to the season."

The final word, though, goes to Kvitova herself, who after a turbulent year is just looking forward to being back in Istanbul.

"I think after last season, which was unbelievable for me, it is great satisfaction to be at the Championships again," she said. "It means a lot to me. It means that I had a solid season despite the injuries, with some great results, and was able to back up last year.

"Mostly, I look forward to the matches. Every match will be a big fight against great players. I'm also looking forward to playing in front of the great Turkish crowd, so many people came to watch us last year and I hope it will be the same. I remember from last year what a great event it was."