# Petra Kvitova, ranked 7th in the world, suffered a defeat in Brisbane
The 4th-seeded Czech player, Petra Kvitova, was exhausted and lost to world No. 20 Kontaveit with a score of 7-5 7-6 (7-1) in a match that lasted 98 minutes. Kvitova was not the only top player to fall, as the 6th-ranked Kiki Bertens also lost to Croatia’s world No. 34 Donna Vekic with a score of 7-6 (7-5) 1-6 7-5.
The focus was mainly on Kvitova’s unexpected loss, while Kontaveit’s post-match thoughts revolved around the 2012 Brisbane champion Kanepi.
A year ago, Kanepi had an impressive victory when she won the Brisbane final as the world No. 34 and Kontaveit is looking to follow in her footsteps as she progresses to the quarter-finals to face Lesia Tsurenko from Ukraine.
Kontaveit mentioned, “We’re a really small country. Kaia has led the way for me. She won this tournament a few years ago — she’s shown that you can make it in tennis,” indicating her admiration for Kanepi and the inspiration she derives from her success.
Kanepi, the prominent Estonian player, has achieved milestones in WTA events and Grand Slam tournaments, being the first from her country to enter the world’s top 20 and win a WTA title. Kontaveit faced challenges in Brisbane, including a comeback from being 5-2 down in the second set to eventually win in a tiebreak.
Kvitova struggled due to fatigue from a grueling three-hour match in the first round against Danielle Collins just a day before, while Kontaveit had a swift victory over Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain in just 52 minutes. Kontaveit’s win over a top 10 player marked her ninth career victory against such high-ranked opponents.
