- Title: Attack victim Kvitova relishing Wimbledon return
- Date: 19th June 2017
- Summary: BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, UK (JUNE 19, 2017) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) PETRA KVITOVA, SAYING: "You know I think the main thing is that I love playing tennis and I love to be back. So that's what I'm really enjoying now, I mean I probably never enjoyed tennis as much as I do now which is a beautiful feeling to say I always loved to play tennis, but now it's a little bit kind of a different level, so that's important for me right now and it doesn't matter if I have many matches and if I win or lose or whatever, I want to just really enjoy that. Of course I'm back because I wanted to win some big tournaments but it's not just that I'm going there because of it, so I'm really glad I can play tennis again."
- Embargoed: 3rd July 2017 12:38
- Keywords: Petra Kvitova tennis Birmingham Wimbledon
- Location: BIRMINGHAM AND LONDON, ENGLAND, UK / PRAGUE AND PROSTEJOV, CZECH REPUBLIC
- City: BIRMINGHAM AND LONDON, ENGLAND, UK / PRAGUE AND PROSTEJOV, CZECH REPUBLIC
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Sport,Tennis
- Reuters ID: LVA0026LY21XB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova says returning to the scene of her "fairytale" first grand slam win will be a particularly emotional occasion this year.
Kvitova only recently returned to competition after a knife attack at her home in the Czech Republic in December left her with an injured left hand.
While she is back in action, her hand remains troublesome and she is not sure if it will ever fully be back to how it was.
Rehab has only been part of the work that the 27-year-old has had to undergo. Psychologically, the violent attempted robbery clearly left a scar.
She returned to action at the French Open this month, losing in the second round, and she is playing on the grass at the Aegon Classic at Edgbaston this week as she builds up to her favourite event.
Kvitova, who plays fellow Czech Tereza Smitkova in Birmingham on Tuesday, said she had been overwhelmed by the welcome she got from fellow players and others in the game.
She can expect much more of that when she turns up at the All England Club where she enjoyed a surprise win over Maria Sharapova in the 2011 final and then triumphed again three years later, beating Canadian Eugenie Bouchard.
Kvitova was an eighth-ranked 21-year-old when she first won Wimbledon and she admits she did not really know how to handle the moment.
It would be a major surprise if, after everything that has happened, Kvitova were to claim a third Wimbledon title. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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