The defending champion and number two seed was the heavy favorite coming into her third round match against Jelena Jankovic, after having dropped only three games in her first two matches. The match seemed all but done and dusted after Petra Kvitova wrapped up the first set in 29 minutes and solidified a break over her opponent in the second, just two holds of serve away from victory. The twenty-eighth seed however, made a tremendous comeback to knock out last year's champion.
The first set was all business for the Czech as she broke in the fourth game of the match. Kvitova hit only four winners but this was enough compared to Jankovic's single winner, and it was the Czech's ability to hold her games with a 66 percent first serve without facing any major issues that caused her to take the first set 6-3. Jankovic indeed had a chance to break in the first game of the match, but was unable to convert it.
It seemed as if the one way traffic would continue in the second set and Kvitova would sail away with yet another straight set victory when last year's champion broke Jankovic's serve to love in the third game. Kvitova hit sixteen winners in the set to Jankovic's seven, but soon the Serb's defending abilities kicked in and she broke the Czech in the crucial eighth game by hitting one volley winner and forcing two of her opponent's errors. The scoreline was level at 4-4, and remained so until the second seed was forced to serve to stay in the set. In a close game that went to two deuces, the lower seeded player hit a spirited forehand winner to edge the set 7-5 at Advantage.
The third set saw Jankovic capitalizing on her serve, hitting 77 percent first serves in, and winning 70 percent of said points whilst winning 100 percent of her second serve points. This ensured that Kvitova got no opportunities to break the Serb's serve in the deciding set. Still, the defending champion attempted to keep up and held on until she was forced to serve to stay in the match and championships. Kvitova went 30-0 up, by hitting a smash winner and forcing an error from her opponent, but then lost footing completely when Jankovic retaliated by forcing an error from her side as well. The 2014 champion then hit two unforced errors to crash out of the tournament whilst her victor went down on the grass in happiness and disbelief.
The Serb managed to hang tough in a situation where she was almost down and out, and it truly paid off. She has now quietly claimed one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far in a highly exciting and tumultuous match. She can use this confidence to reaffirm some self-belief as she goes into the round of sixteen to play against Agnieszka Radwanska.