Petra Kvitova: ATP/WTA Player of the Week

Aug 12, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic returns a ball to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus (not pictured) in their match during the second round of the Rogers Cup tennis tournament at Aviva Centre. Victoria Azarenka of the Czech Republic won 6-2 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

ATP/WTA Player of the Week: New Haven Champion Petra Kvitova

She’s been struggling for form throughout 2015. She lost early at Wimbledon – her favourite tournament. She lost her first matches in Toronto and Cincinnati. And when it seemed that her confidence was at an all-time low and her chances at the US Open were slim, Petra Kvitova found a way to supplement both. By winning the Premier tournament in New Haven.

Such is the confounding enigma of Petra Kvitova.

Kvitova’s aggressive game will always mean that she checks out of some tournaments prematurely. Adding to her unpredictable results is the mononucleosis diagnosis that she received recently.

So it’s encouraging to see her perform as well as she did in New Haven, notching up an impressive catalogue of wins over Madison Keys, Agnieszka Radwanska, four-time champion Caroline Wozniacki and compatriot Lucie Safarova. Her straight sets wins over Aga and Caro speak particularly well of her chances in New York, given her tendency to become agitated against craftier, more defensive opponents.

In recognition of her four top-25 wins, and return to form, however temporary it may be, Petra Kvitova is our player of the week.

Here are a few more winners from the week that was in New Haven and Winston-Salem:

Winner: Lesia Tsurenko

2015 may just be a breakout year for Lesia Tsurenko. A permanent fixture in the world’s top 100, Tsurenko has always possessed a steady, complete game. And this year, that game has paid dividends, taking her to the quarterfinals in Indian Wells and Toronto and helping her claim a maiden title in Istanbul. And this week she reached the semifinals of New Haven. Gaining entry as a lucky loser following Simona Halep’s withdrawal, the Ukrainian took out Barbora Strycova and world no. 8 Karolina Pliskova for the loss of just 7 games.

Her week ended at the hands of Lucie Safarova, but it’s hard not to feel positive about where Tsurenko’s year, and indeed career, are heading after this string of results. Is a top 30 debut or deep grand slam run on the cards?

Winner: Kevin Anderson

Along with Petra Kvitova, Kevin Anderson was the big winner this week, claiming hardware in Winston-Salem. Anderson bounced back from a debilitating loss to Roger Federer in Cincinnati, with wins over Jerzy Janowicz, Borna Coric, and Pierre Hughes-Herbert. A beacon of consistency, the big-serving South African should be proud to put yet another minor trophy on his mantelpiece before heading to New York.

How do you think was the biggest winner of the week? Was Petra Kvitova’s string of big wins as impressive as Kevin Anderson’s emotionally revitalising victory? Let us know in the comments below!

Next: Power Ranking Serena Williams and the Top 25 Women Before the US Open

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