Petra Kvitova focused on improving movement during off-season

World number six Petra Kvitova said that part of her off-season training included movement improvement. The Wimbledon 2011 champion hired the services of fitness coach Mark Vseticek last fall and worked with him in the remaining months of the 2013.

“It was my first priority,” the Czech star said. “Then I practice on my serve. When I’m practicing on the fitness and then I improve my movement, is everything easier then. I feel more comfortable on the court and I have more confidence that I can play more rallies than I did before, that I don’t have to risk every ball from the second shot, for example. So this is I think that it’s making me more relaxed on the court. I think that the game, it came then.”

The sixth-ranked player hopes that her efforts will pay off sooner.

“In the last month when we practice, I didn’t really think that it will bring me exactly in this month that I will be quicker and everything,” Kvitova said. “So I’m just trying to play and catch every ball, and I think that’s the most important thing. I’m not really think about, but when I am look back, for example today’s match [a 6-1, 6-0 win over Christina McHale in Sydney], now that I catch quite tough balls. So I think that’s good,” she added.