By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
In a 55-minute display of ferocious power tennis, Petra Kvitova easily won her second Wimbledon singles title with a 6-3, 6-0 domination of 20-year-old upstart Genie Bouchard.
Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion from the Czech Republic, slammed 28 winners and constantly barraged the 20-year-old Canadian with her left-handed groundstrokes.
“That was power tennis at its best,” said Mary Joe Fernandez, the U.S. Fed Cup captain on ESPN of Kvitova. “She played with so much freedom.”
“I’m shocked,” said three-time Wimbledon champion Chris Evert on ESPN. “I did not expect her to play that well. She’s been so up and down this whole year. Genie Bouchard was taken completely by surprise by Kvitova. She was pushed backwards.”
For Kvitova, playing her first tournament final since last September, winning a second major title more firmly establishes her legacy in the game, wrestling free of being labeled a “one-hit wonder.” She also began to make a case to potentially be elected into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in the future. In addition to her now two Wimbledon titles, Kvitova has led her native Czech Republic to two Fed Cup titles and was also the winner at the prestigious year-end WTA Championships in Istanbul in 2011, one of her now 12 WTA Tour titles.
With her powerful ground game and wicked lefty serve, many observers feel that the still-only 24-year-old Kvitova is poised to make a run at several more Wimbledon titles in the years to come.
Said Pam Shriver on ESPN, “You could realistically see her matching the Williams sisters (Venus and Serena) with five titles (at Wimbledon).”
The Kvitova-Bouchard final was the most one-sided Wimbledon final since 1983 when Martina Navratilova, like Kvitova a Czech lefty, beat Andrea Jaeger 6-0, 6-3. Bouchard, however, hardly folded, incredibly only hitting four unforced errors in the match, showcasing the one-sided dictation administered by Kvitova. Seeded No. 13, Bouchard entered the final without losing a set and having reached the semifinals at both the Australian and French Open earlier in the year.
“This has nothing to do with shakiness or nerves from Genie Bouchard” said Evert on ESPN of the one-sided final result. “She had no answers for the power, but there were no holes in Kvitova’s game either.”
Bouchard entered the final with most of the hype, dominating headlines in London and around the world, being labeled the new “it” girl in women’s tennis. She has started to command the attention of such media brands as Vogue, as seen here: http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/canadian-tennis-star-eugenie-bouchard-wimbledon/?utm_source=modeldemand.com&utm_medium=modeldemand#1, Elle, as seen here http://www.ellecanada.com/living/health/eugenie-bouchard-her-health-and-fitness-secrets/a/90073#.U7awcvldWGc and the American tennis program “Good Morning America” here: https://gma.yahoo.com/eugenie-bouchard-5-things-know-tennis-girl-120817909–abc-news-celebrities.html
Only two years removed from winning the Wimbledon junior girls’ title, and playing only her sixth career major tournament, Bouchard was looking to make a hallmark introduction to the global stage in women’s sports like another No. 13-seeded blonde-haired battler Maria Sharapova, who won at the All England Club 10 years ago in 2004 as a 17-year-old. Bouchard, however, seems poised to be a force in women’s tennis and sports marketing for years to come.
“Genie has unlimited endorsement potential,” said Ben Sturner of Madison Avenue-based sports marketing agency Leverage Sports Agency. “She has it all talent, good looks and a super personality which brands really like, especially global brands. And she is only 20 years old!”
