Wimbledon champ Kvitova, Fritz win Eastbourne titles

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova tuned up for the Grand Slam event by overpowering Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2 to win the Eastbourne title on Saturday.

Also, Taylor Fritz outlasted Maxime Cressy 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4) in an all-American males’s closing for his second Eastbourne title.

Kvitova earned her first grass-court title in 4 years — and twenty ninth trophy of her singles profession — after breaking Ostapenko, the defending champion, early in each units of the ultimate and feasting on the Latvian’s second serve.

Kvitova saved 5 break factors within the fourth recreation of the second set to remain accountable for the match at 3-1.

Queen of the seaside 🌊@Petra_Kvitova captures her twenty ninth profession singles title, defeating Ostapenko 6-3, 6-2 in Eastbourne 🏆#RothesayInternational pic.twitter.com/c2eHXsfUZu

— wta (@WTA) June 25, 2022

“Playing on the grass is very special for me every time,” the Czech participant stated on courtroom. “It’s the best preparation for Wimbledon, as well.”

Kvitova, the Wimbledon champion in 2011 and 2014, begins one other marketing campaign on Tuesday towards Jasmine Paolini of Italy.

She is 5-1 in grass-court finals. Her most up-to-date was in 2018 in Birmingham.

The eighth-seeded Ostapenko, a Wimbledon semifinalist 4 years in the past, gained the 2017 French Open.

After the ultimate, Ostapenko withdrew from the ladies’s doubles closing alongside Ukrainian accomplice Lyudmyla Kichenok due to a toe downside on her proper foot. The walkover handed the title to Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia and Magda Linette of Poland.

Ostapenko is the twelfth seed at Wimbledon and has a first-round match scheduled on Monday towards Oceane Dodin of France.

Fritz might depend on his serve in his first assembly with Cressy. Fritz didn’t face a break level within the closing, he gained 92% of his first serves, and launched 17 aces. Even so, it took him greater than two hours to get on prime of Cressy, who was taking part in his first ATP closing. Fritz didn’t drop his serve all week.

🏆 🏆 🏆

Taylor Fritz wins his third tour-level title in Eastbourne over Cressy 6-2, 6-7(4), 7-6(4).@Taylor_Fritz97 | @the_LTA | #RothesayInternational pic.twitter.com/1n8oYcAckg

— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 25, 2022

“My grass season wasn’t going great before I arrived here,” Fritz stated. “But it is great to beat these players and it gives me confidence. I played really well all week and going into Wimbledon, I feel good.”

Fritz, ranked 14th, gained his third ATP title, second in Eastbourne beside 2019, and second this 12 months after Indian Wells in March.

Fritz has drawn Lorenzo Musetti of Italy within the first spherical of Wimbledon subsequent week.

Cressy, ranked sixtieth, has sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada.