Kvitova's Major Breakthrough

Petra Kvitova walked onto Centre Court Wimbledon today with absolutely nothing to lose. Playing in her first Grand Slam final, Kvitova was the healthy underdog to former Wimbledon Champion Maria Sharapova. Knowing that Sharapova was the one facing all the pressure, the 21 year-old came out firing in today's Ladies' Championship at Wimbledon. Early nerves led to Sharapova breaking Kvitova's serve in the very first game of the championship match. The Russian could not take advantage of this early break, losing her serve the very next game. This levelled the opening set at 1-1, and the rest of the match would prove to be pretty lopsided in favor of Petra Kvitova.

Kvitova was able to control almost every baseline rally in the first set, and her opponent helped her out by throwing in numerous double faults at very big spots. Kvitova was able to run Sharapova all over the court with her lefty forehand. An error by Sharapova gave Petra Kvitova the first set, 6-3. This was the first set Sharapova had lost in the entire tournament, and it definitely affected the veteran's confidence going into the must-win 2nd set. This 2nd set was an absolute roller-coaster, as the two competitors exchanged numerous breaks. The real turning point in this set was when Kvitova was serving at 4-3. Sharapova had broken Kvitova in her last two service games and knew she would need another break to stay alive. An early advantage in this game was not enough for Sharapova to convert the break, and Kvitova held. putting herself just one game away from the finish line. After an easy hold by Sharapova, Kvitova showed no signs of tensing up as she was serving for the match. This love-hold was capped off by an ace, the Czech's first of the match. There is truly no better way to win Wimbledon in your first trip to a Grand Slam Final.

Kvitova fell to her knees in celebration, no-doubt trying to sink in the entire atmosphere. The sell-out crowd at Centre Court rose to their feet, applauding the remarkable performance by the 21 year-old. With the way she performed on the game's biggest stage today, this could be the first of many Grand Slam titles for Petra Kvitova. As for Maria Sharapova, her service woes finally caught up to her. Multiple times during the match Sharapova faced break points and responded to them by throwing in a double. That just will not cut it in the final of a Major. What makes this all even more surprising is the fact that Maria was the more experienced of the two players, having played in 4 Grand Slam finals prior to Saturday's loss. On the flip side, Kvitova's lack of experience seemed to be her biggest advantage, as she came out with the mentality that she had nothing to lose.

This year's final brings up a lot of interesting questions. Will Maria Sharapova ever win another Major? Will Petra Kvitova carry over this success to Flushing Meadows in September? While no one knows the answers to these questions, we all do know that Petra Kvitova is a Major Champion!