Back in March, when Petra Kvitova announced her decision to withdraw from the two Premier tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, it seemed a strange decision, especially since the Czech cited exhaustion as the reason.
Strange because you do not expect a player to be exhausted just two months into the season, but Kvitova was.
“Playing tennis for me has always meant doing something I love, and doing it with a lot of passion, but from the start of the year I just didn’t have that,” Kvitova told the BBC last month. “I was so empty. I didn’t always feel physically bad, I was able to play, but I wasn’t there 100 per cent.”
The suggestion to take time out apparently came from her coach David Kotyza, via a text message, as she flew to Doha after losing in the third round in Dubai in February. Kvitova spent four days contemplating before making her decision and, if her performance in winning the Madrid title last week is any indication, she had probably made the right choice.
Kvitova did not touch her tennis racquet for four weeks, spending the first 10 days of that break on a beach, and the rest has certainly worked for her. The world No 4 handed Serena Williams her first defeat of 2015 in the semi-finals in Madrid to bring the American’s 27-match winning streak to an end.
It was Kvitova’s first ever win over Williams in six matches and it bodes well for the coming months. Rested and refreshed, the Czech will be gunning for more.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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THE BIO
Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13
Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier
Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife
What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents.
Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.
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Racecard
5pm: Al Maha Stables – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,600m
6pm: Emirates Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
6.30pm: Emirates Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
7pm: The President’s Cup – Group 1 (PA) Dh2,500,000 (T) 2,200m
7.30pm: The President’s Cup – Listed (TB) Dh380,000 (T) 1,400m
Company profile: buybackbazaar.com
Name: buybackbazaar.com
Started: January 2018
Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech, micro finance
Initial investment: $1 million
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
