Petra Kvitova mercilessly overpowers Eugenie Bouchard in Wimbledon final
Kvitova dismantled the Canadian 6-3, 6-0 in a match which lasted less than an hour to claim her second Wimbledon title, and deny the Canadian her first.
By Jennifer QuinnStaff Reporter
Sat., July 5, 2014timer4 min. read
LONDON—The British, as they so often do, have an expression that neatly summarizes the situation which unfolded Saturday during the women's final at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
It was, they'd say, a bit of a damp squib: something that falls short, or is a letdown. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as a "situation or event which is much less impressive than expected."
Canada's Eugenie Bouchard would concur. She was the victim of a tennis clinic put on by Petra Kvitova, defeated 6-3, 6-0 in just 55 minutes. If it was a damp squib, at least it wasn't a drawn-out one.
Bouchard came into the match as both Canada's first Wimbledon finalist, and Canada's first Grand Slam finalist. She also walked onto Centre Court an underdog, the 13th seed to Kvitova's sixth spot, and suffering from an experience deficit: the 24-year-old Czech was champion here in 2011.
Bouchard was looking at — dreaming of — the possibility of a major title for the first time in her career. She said the nerves were no worse than before an ordinary match, but — really?
"It was a big moment walking out onto Centre Court for a final," she said. "I have that experience now. I know what it feels like. I hope I can walk out to many more finals. That's the goal."
For Kvitova, SW19 is home turf, and her comfort level showed. She delivered her fastest serves of the tournament, firing missiles at Bouchard which measured 113 m.p.h. Her groundstrokes were equally powerful, and perfectly placed.
"I love to play finals. I love to play on the big stadium," said Kvitova, who was also personally thrilled to be playing in front of Martina Navatrilova, another left-handed Czech Wimbledon champion.
"This is something really special," Kvitova said. "I mean, it's not feeling as a tournament for me. It's something more, more, more."
Throughout this tournament, Bouchard has been able to impose her pace on her opponents but Kvitova removed that advantage completely. Even when the 20-year-old Canadian should have been playing offence, Kvitova knocked her back on her heels, forcing her to dig out shots and deftly moving her off-balance.
At 1-1 in the first set, Kvitova broke Bouchard's serve for the first time with strong, perfectly placed returns. She just seemed stronger. Kvitova broke again at 4-2. But Bouchard was able to break back at 5-2, as Kvitova served for the set. It would be her final fightback.
"I think in the first set I started okay, but the second set I was a bit hesitant sometimes," Bouchard said afterward. "Maybe I would just try to go for those a little bit more. I didn't have many answers on the court today. I think that's the bottom line."
As tentative as she was in the first set, she became invisible in the second. Bouchard, who hadn't dropped a set all tournament, did not win one game in the final frame.
"I knew that I could play well on the grass," Kvitova said, "but I really played so well. I was very focused for every point. I knew that I have to go forward for every shot what I'm playing to push her."
Bouchard agreed.
"I definitely got outplayed, and I felt that way after the match," she said. "But I'm still holding my head up. I feel like I've come a long way and I'm proud of what I've achieved not only this week but this year as well.
"So I think life is good, and I'm just going to keep working," she said. "That's what you have to do, just go back to work."
Before that, though, she intends to go home to Montreal for some time with family (and her sofa.) She doesn't intend "to think about a racquet for a few days at least. Maybe a week. We'll see how it goes."
Despite the loss, Bouchard's world ranking will rise to seven, and she brings the confidence of two Grand Slam semifinals — in Australia and Paris — and her Wimbledon experience to the hardcourt season.
The final Slam of 2014 is, of course, the U.S. Open, which starts Aug. 25 in New York. First, Bouchard is scheduled to play the Rogers Cup in her hometown, from Aug. 1 to 10.
"It should be very exciting," she said, understandably understated. "I don't get to play often in front of my home crowd, so I hope people will want to come out and watch."
In her final meeting with reporters here, Bouchard remained as composed as she has been from the start, and she looked marginally more cheerful than she (understandably) appeared during the trophy presentation.
Horrific loss aside — and it was bad — this has been an excellent tournament for Bouchard. She defeated players she had never bested, such as Andrea Petkovic, her third-round opponent, bettered her previous two Slam outings, and gained an immeasurable amount of experience.
"Of course I'm disappointed with a loss today, but I will realize how far I've come this year already, and appreciate the hard work I've put in and really believe that I can be at the top level of the game," Bouchard said. "That will give me motivation.
"So," she added, "I think I'll look back and I'll be okay."
Eugenie Bouchard, Wimbledon