US Open star explains refusing to take husband’s name after getting married
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A two-time Wimbledon champion took time out this summer to get married, but she won’t be changing her name. Former world No 2 Petra Kvitova is into the second round of the US Open after she opened up her campaign on Monday with a 6-1, 7-6 victory against Spain’s Cristina Bucsa.
The 33-year-old Czech Republic star finally tied the knot with long-time partner Jiri Vanek last month, but with two Grand Slams and 31 career titles to her name, Kvitova won’t be changing her surname to Vanek any time soon.
Speaking to Czech outlet iSport.cz about marriage and her name after her first-round match at Flushing Meadows, Kvitova said: “Of course, I will remain Kvitova. It’s not even worth changing, no one will remember it anyway. The first days after the wedding, I felt a little strange that I was married. But gradually I got used to it.
“The wedding day was amazing, I’m sure everyone enjoyed it with us. Really great, even the weather held out for us. A beautiful day.”
The current world No 11 had been handed a tough opening draw but saw off 25-year-old Bucsa in straight sets regardless.
Life won’t get any easier for the two-times US Open quarterfinalist, however. She will now face generational rival Caroline Wozniacki in the second round after the Danish former world No 1 marked her return to Grand Slam tennis with a victory over Tatiana Prozorova in the first round.
The pair will face each other for the 15th time in 14 years with Kvitova leading the head-to-head record 8-6 including 6-2 on hard courts and four of their last five encounters.
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The two former Grand Slam champions’ routes to the US Open could hardly be more different. Kvitova has two titles to her name this year, having triumphed in Miami and Berlin, forcing her way back into the world top 10, although she is currently world No 11.
Wozniacki – a two-times US Open finalist – has only just returned to the sport after taking a break for maternity leave and it is unclear exactly what level she can reach so soon after jumping back on the WTA tour.
Speaking about the match-up, Kvitova said: “We’ve known each other for a long time, she also commented on TV, so it felt like she wasn’t even gone. We had fun in Montreal, where she performed for the first time in a long time. We met in the dressing room and exchanged a few words.”
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