BIRMINGHAM: Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was cheered as if she had been the home player, after a straight-sets win over Britain’s Naomi Broady here on Wednesday carried her into a first quarter-final in eight months.

The applause was not intended as any slight to Broady, but as acknowledgement of an encouraging performance by the Czech, whose career may still be at risk from the injuries inflicted on her by an intruder with a knife six months ago.

Kvitova did serve a few double faults which briefly seemed worrying, but hit some fine ground strokes and moved better than she used to in a 6-2, 6-2 victory.

She seemed taken aback when asked after the match if she knew that she was widely considered as one of the favourites for the tournament.

“I didn’t hear that,” she said. “I don’t really care - it’s too early,” she added, mindful of this being only her fourth match since the trauma of having five fingers and two tendons of her left hand damaged.

“I am here to play tennis and to play on the grass which I love.”

Results (x denotes seeding):

Second round: Lucie Safarova (CZE) bt Naomi Osaka (JPN) 6-2, 6-4; Daria Gavrilova (AUS x9) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 7-5, 2-6, 6-4; Petra Kvitova (CZE x7) bt Naomi Broady (GBR) 6-2, 6-2; Ashleigh Barty (AUS) bt Barbora Strycova (CZE x8) 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2017