Petra Kvitova lashes out on WTA and the China Open for scheduling mess after being forced to play past midnight and then being given an early start
Petra Kvitova slams WTA for scheduling mess in the China Open.
Petra Kvitova (Image via Tennis World)
Former World No.2 Petra Kvitova slams the Women’s Tennis Association(WTA) following their scheduling mess up. After a late-night first round at the China Open, the Czech player was forced into an early start. This caused an uproar in the two-time Grand Slam champion since a lot of first-round matches were yet to happen when she was forced to play her second match of the tournament.
This ‘unfair’ scheduling by the WTA meant that Kvitova did not get as much time as she would liked to rest and train. She posted on Twitter (now called X), “Enough to say that there has to have been a fairer option.” The Czech player also urged the WTA to do better for its players.
This uproar by the generally silent Petra Kvitova started with a late-night match in the first round. At midnight, she had to face off against young Wang Xiyu. This match was physically grueling for both players when they were subjected to an exhausting three-set match, where two sets went to tiebreakers. The Czech tennis player had to give a comeback after being down a set.
However, despite this thriller between the two, Kvitova had to pick up her racket once again the next day. She had to battle out against Liudmila Samsonova in the second round the very next day. Making it even more tough was the fact that the match was scheduled in the early evening. Unfortunately, the Czech was not able to bring back her performance from the previous match. She lost to the Russian in straight sets. This caused frustration in Kvitova, leading her to lash out against the WTA on X.
enough to say that there *has* to have been a fairer option. Please do better for your players @WTA
— Petra Kvitova (@Petra_Kvitova) October 2, 2023
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Petra Kvitova upset by Liudmila Samsonova in the second round of the China Open
Twelfth-seeded Petra Kvitova was defeated by 24-year-old Liudmila Samsonova in the second round of the China Open. Following scheduling mishaps, the Czech lost to Samsonova with a score of 4-6, 5-7 in her opponent’s favor.
While the two-time Grand Slam champion was the likely candidate to win the second-round match, it was ultimately the 22nd-ranked Samsonova who won today. It was an even bigger blow when the former World No.2 lost in straight sets to the 24-year-old.
Following her win, the Russian will move on to the third round of the tournament. However, her opponent in the next round is still undecided. She will be playing against the winner of the second-round match between Ons Jabeur and Marta Kostyuk.
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Ramya Rangarajan
(267 Articles Published)