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Petra Kvitova beat Elena Rybakina 7-6(14), 6-2 to win the 2023 Miami Open, which was the 30th title of her career. She also made a return to the top 10 of the WTA rankings.
The Czech was asked about the tightly-contested first-set tie-break which she won 16-14, thus becoming the first player to win a tie-break against Rybakina this season.
Kvitova said that she did not think about how the tie-break was going and that was crucial. The Czech added that she told herself that Rybakina had to lose a tie-breaker at some point this season.
"I didn't think. I think it was the key that I didn't think. I think [she] didn't lose a tie-break (before). I had it in my mind and I said, 'She has to lose at some point one tie break', so I kept going, kept going, and you know the ball afterwards was like, so fluffy and didn't fly at all," Petra Kvitova said.
"So I'm lucky. I had to be a little more aggressive, which I was in the end but during the tiebreak, I struggled a little," she added.
Kvitova heaped praise on Rybakina during her winner's speech and congratulated her for the kind of form she has been in throughout this season.
"First of all, I have to congratulate Elena for an incredible, not just those two weeks, but whole year, you are playing amazing. You have a great serve. I'm really happy today that I could share the court with you again and well done to your team as well. Good luck for the rest of the season," the 33-year-old said.
Petra Kvitova leads 2-1 in the head-to-head against Elena Rybakina
Petra Kvitova currently leads 2-1 in the head-to-head against Elena Rybakina after beating her in the Miami Open final. Rybakina won the first meeting between the two 7-6(5), 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Ostrava Open. The Czech then beat her 6-3, 7-5 at the Adelaide International 2 before triumphing over her in Miami.
Both players will now take a short break as neither of them are competing in any of the forthcoming tournaments.
Kvitova is next scheduled to take part in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Rybakina will next represent Kazakhstan in the Billie Jean King Cup qualifying round, where her team will face Poland.
