ROLLERCOASTER FOR KVITOVA

Petra Kvitova would have known now how great a leveller sports is. The 24-year old Czech who had lifted the shining trophy at the All England club just weeks ago was outplayed by a qualifier in the US Open the other day as she went down in straight sets in round three to make her way out of the tournament.

Aleksandra Krunic, a player from Serbia who is not even in top 120 in the singles world rankings, could not have had a better day than that. She could not believe what she had just done out there. She was utterly shocked as everybody else in the spectators’ area.

The feeling eventually sunk in and Krunic prepared herself to speak in the post match interview. If you had backed her to beat Kvitova at the start on the tennis betting online exchanges, you could have made a ton of money.

One could sense the joy in each and every word of hers. “It’s just unbelievable. The proudest day for me easily,” she said.

“It’s always nice to be in an underdog situation. There is no pressure on you.”

“There was big support for Petra out there, but, that didn’t get me shaken. All I wanted to do was to give 100% effort.”

Kvitova would have given herself a chance to become the no. 1 player in the world if she had been able to emerge as the winner here at flushing Meadows too after the Wimbledon, but, now that she has lost, the status of world no. 1 would remain with Serena Williams only.

Kvitova’s defeat is not the only upset to be created in the US Open females’ singles competition this year. There have been a lot more. Actually, seven out of the first 10 seeded players have become victims of upsets and have gone out. The 3 who are alive are Bouchard, Serena and Sharapova.