On paper, Petra Kvitova’s game should earn her a Wimbledon title at least every other year.
Her big lefty serve, coupled with her aggressive shots and all-out attack strategy, make her the perfect grass court player and had it not been for her nerves and struggles with the big time, she would have been a multiple Wimbledon champion already.
She says the cold weather in the Czech Republic meant she had to practise a lot indoors on very fast surfaces which is why she has no problem excelling on the speedy courts of the All England Club.
There may be a lot of differences between Kvitova and her opponent today, Eugenie Bouchard, but one thing they share in common is how early they both take on the ball.
TV stats showed how Bouchard stands inside the court on almost all her returnpoints, whether on first or second serves.
She won’t be able to do that easily on Kvitova’s serve though.
Bouchard has already played a lefty this week, having beaten Angelique Kerber in the quarters but the German’s serve is not as big and varied as Kvitova’s.
For Kvitova, the plan should be fairly simple. Keep her first serve percentage up and her error count down.
For Bouchard, the Canadian must focus on her return game to make sure she can get into the rallies and dictate the way she likes to.
Kvitova, as a former champion, should have experience on her side but Bouchard hasn’t been showing much nerves so far this fortnight.
She draws confidence from having won the Wimbledon junior title two years ago and her overall results in majors this season have been much better than Kvitova’s – meaning she’s probably grown accustomed to the big stage.
