US Open Betting / Guy McCrea / 20 July 2011 /

Petra Kvitova's stunning Wimbledon triumph sealed a maiden Grand Slam title for the talented Czech. Guy McCrea asks if Kvitova can continue to contend in the American hard court season ...

Regular readers will be fully aware that I had been talking up Petra Kvitova's chances of winning a maiden Grand Slam title in 2011 for some time before the Czech blitzed the women's draw to win Wimbledon earlier this month. For me, Kvitova could have won her maiden major at the French Open. But an under-par serving effort proved the primary reason for her demise at Roland Garros against eventual champion Li Na.

At Wimbledon though, everything that always impressed me about Kvitova came to the fore in scintillating fashion - most notably her wicked lefty serve and cannonball groundstrokes. Kvitova's forehand was clocked at an incredible 81 mph during her Wimbledon run - faster than both men's finalists Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal. Of course, tennis is about much more than simply how hard you can smack the ball - but that statistic does illustrate how much raw power Kvitova possesses. The Czech's weapons are bigger than anything else on the WTA right now. No other woman can consistently nail the huge numbers of outright winners that Kvitova can.

On top of that though, Kvitova demonstrated at Wimbledon how much she has improved in other key areas. Clearly, the Czech was more consistent off the ground and on her serve than at times in the past. The fact that she is fitter than ever before also helped. But perhaps most importantly of all, Kvitova was so composed - not least during her final victory over 2004 champion Maria Sharapova.

By virtue of that Wimbledon win, Kvitova became the first woman aged 21 or under to win a Slam in over three years - the first of the much-discussed younger crop on the WTA to breakt hrough and snare a Grand Slam singles crown. In contrast to many of her contemporaries, the Czech seems to enjoy playing at the majors. Kvitova has also proven now that she can deliver on the big stage - something which others, such as Caroline Wozniacki (10.5 on Betfair to win the 2011 U.S. Open) and Victoria Azarenka (14.5 to win) have yet to do.

Can Kvitova keep it going during the American hardcourt swing - most importantly at the U.S. Open (6.2 to win) in September? For me, the brief answer is yes - although I don't see her as such an obvious contender as she was at Wimbledon. Grass is undoubtedly the best surface for Kvitova's breathtaking brand of first-strike tennis - so much so that she could win multiple Wimbledon titles in the future.

But she hasn't enjoyed that much success on cement before and will have to demonstrate more defensive, rallying qualities if she is to prosper over the next couple of months. Kvitova will still be able to crush plenty of winners - she is capable of doing that on any surface - but even the Czech won't win points so quickly, so often, on medium-paced hardcourts.

Serena Williams (6.2 to win) will likely be back to full match fitness in New York, while double defending champion Kim Clijsters (9.6 to win) will probably also be there too. Both are proven performers on hardcourts and Clijsters is arguably the best of her generation on the surface. I think Kvitova is capable of upending them - but it will be tougher for her to do than it would be on grass, or a quick indoor court.

History wouldn't seem to favour Kvitova's chances of adding another Slam straight away in New York. Since the dawn of the Open era, only four women have won their second major title at the first time of asking. Evonne Goolagong (1971) and Chris Evert (1974) managed it. More recently, both Venus Williams (2000) and Jennifer Capriati (2001) won their first two major titles back-to-back.

Venus' success is the most relevant to Kvitova because the American won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open - but the fact remains that these instances are few and far between. That is surely due to the increased burden of expectation that a first-time Grand Slam champion has to bear in the immediate aftermath of their triumph. And the glare of the media spotlight is no greater than in New York! Kvitova handled everything superbly at Wimbledon - but the demands on her will be even greater now that she is a Grand Slam champion. Just remember Ana Ivanovic, who patently folded in the weight of expectation after winning her first - and to date only - major crown at Roland Garros four years ago.

More than any concerns about how her game will fare on hardcourts - this is the biggest question surrounding Kvitova's chances at the U.S. Open. If the Czech can handle all the expectation surrounding her status as the newest major champion in the women's game - then she has every chance of tasting more Grand Slam glory in September.

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

:

:

:

?

: