Kvitova beats battling Errani to win in Dubai

DPA/Dubai

Former Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova had to struggle to claim the 10th title of her career yesterday as she overcame Italian battler Sara Errani 6-2, 1-6, 6-1 to win the WTA Dubai Championships.

Errani, who lost the French Open final in 2012 to Maria Sharapova, gave away a massive height difference of 20 centimetres to powerful Czech Kvitova, who was playing in her 12th career final.

The win kept sixth seed Kvitova a perfect 4-0 over number five Errani after beating the Italian in all three of their previous matches in 2012. It marked the first trophy for Kvitrova since New Haven the week before the US Open last August.

The match was far from being one-sided, with Kvitova sweeping the first set, Errani coming alive in the second and the Czech finally regaining control in the third to win it after a one hour, 41 minute-battle.

“It was a tough match, really up and down for me,” said Kvitova, who played this week without her coach on hand. “She changed her tactic in the second set, playing a lot of serve and volley and really going for her shots. That gave me big problems. But I managed to stay calm and remain in the match. That was my strongest point, it was very important.”

Kvitova, who won her Wimbledon title in 2011, becomes the first Czech to claim Dubai honours.

Kvitova broke to start the match and after 14 minutes had built up a 4-0 lead as the diminutive Errani struggled to compete. But the Italian who had beaten her doubles partner Roberta Vinci to reach the final managed to make an impression as she broke Kvitova in the sixth game, 2-4.

But that success was short-lived, with the Czech breaking back and securing the set on her second opportunity a game later.

Kvitova kept up the pressure in the second set as she began with a break, only to lose it as the determined Errani levelled at 1-1 on the way to her impressive fightback which left the score at a set apiece.

In the third, Kvitova re-established superiority with her big attacking game to run away to victory. Kvitova’s Dubai win marked a turnaround in her fortunes at the event where she had twice lost in the first round.