Petra Kvitova's season has not been one of many tournaments. The big reason for that is that she was attacked in her home in late 2016 and suffered knife wounds that robbed her of six months of her career. More recently, it was a stomach injury that caused her to pull out of the WTA Bastad draw.
That tournament is currently running in Sweden and the injury was one she picked up during the grass-court season, possibly one that contributed to her early exit from Wimbledon. However, recent news is positive for the Czech player. It suggests that Kvitova's injury status has already improved or is expected to improve imminently.
The two-time Wimbledon champion has been added to the 2017 Wta Stanford draw (Bank of the West Classic).
Stanford runs for the first week of August
WTA Stanford is a low-tiered tournament on the women's tour that features 28 players in the main draw. It will run this season from July 31st to August 6th on America's west coast. According to a press release at the tournament's home page, the "former World No. 2 ...has been granted a main draw wildcard into the 2017 Bank of the West Classic" (no author listed/July 27th).
Petra Kvitova will join numerous other high-profile players that will be looking to get some matches in as they prepare for the bigger hard-court events in Toronto, Cincinnati, and New York.
Other players that are on the players' list include former Grand Slam champions Garbine Muguruza, Francesca Schiavone, Maria Sharapova, and Victoria Azarenka. America's hopes in the tournament include Madison Keys and youngster Catherine Bellis.
We’re so excited to announce that @Petra_Kvitova is joining us in Stanford next week!https://t.co/uihzRkEmbm pic.twitter.com/r9IdGsnQQ2
— BOTW Classic (@BOTWClassic) July 27, 2017
Kvitova's debut at WTA Stanford
Kvitova is a veteran on tour, however, the Stanford event is a strange stop for her.
This will be the first time in her career that she will make an appearance at the California event.
It could be that she feels under pressure to get some court time in following all the missed time that she has had to endure this season. Nonetheless, she enters the tournament with a ranking of World No. 14, a very impressive ranking given the setbacks that she has suffered through in 2017.
Despite the fact that she is making her debut in Stanford, Kvitova has done well at this time of year in the past. In 2012 she won the Rogers Cup in Montreal. That same year she made the semifinals at the Western & Southern Open. She should be well rested heading into Stanford. The last time she entered a tournament without carrying an injury was back at Birmingham, an event she won in the weeks prior to Wimbledon 2017. She should compete for a spot in the late rounds of Stanford and may emerge as a title threat.
The last time she entered a tournament without carrying an injury was back at Birmingham, an event she won in the weeks prior to Wimbledon 2017. She should compete for a spot in the late rounds of Stanford and may emerge as a title threat.
