French Open: Petra Kvitova wins first match following knife attack
| French Open |
|---|
| Venue: Roland Garros, Paris Dates: 28 May- 11 June |
| Coverage: Listen to live radio commentary and follow text coverage of selected matches on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra and online. |
Petra Kvitova cried after winning her first match since being stabbed during a burglary at her home in December.
The Czech, 27, looked impressive in beating American Julia Boserup 6-3 6-2 to reach round two of the French Open.
Kvitova suffered career-threatening injuries to her left hand in the attack, but recovered quicker than expected to play in Paris.
The two-time Wimbledon champion said: “It’s a pleasure to be here and I’m happy I made the decision to play.”
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Kvitova first picked up a racquet again in March, 12 weeks after the attack, and began practising properly at the beginning of May.
She had initially targeted Wimbledon for her comeback but, despite admitting she was “still not 100% ready”, decided she was fit enough to play in France.
The 15th seed won the opening point of the match with a cross-court forehand and only needed 74 minutes to overcome world number 86 Boserup.
Her parents Jiri and Pavla and brothers Jiri and Libor were in the stands on Court Philippe Chatrier – the main court at Roland Garros.
“Thank you for everything, you helped me through this difficult time,” said Kvitova.
“I’m glad with how I played. There are a few things to improve but what can I expect after such a long time.
“I was happy that I didn’t have any pain. I promised my doctor, who gave me the green light, that if I feel pain in my hand during the match or in the practice, I’m stopping immediately.”
A French Open semi-finalist in 2012, Kvitova will face either American Bethanie Mattek-Sands or Russian Evgeniya Rodina in the next round.