Jodie Burrage Stuns Petra Kvitova with 14 Aces in Austin Comeback

Jodie Burrage made sure that Petra Kvitova's return to the WTA Tour didn't go as planned. In the first round of the ATX Open, she beat the former world No. 2 with a career-best serving effort, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

She beat Kvitova, who was playing her first match in 17 months after giving birth to her seven-month-old son Petr. The 25-year-old Brit hit 14 aces, the most in her career.

"She's a real champion." He said, "I knew I had to fight." "She looked like she hadn't been away." All of it was landing in. I had to get back on track and fight until the end.

In a strange way, Burrage is also on a trip to come back. She was ranked as high as No. 84 last year, but in April, she tore a muscle in her ankle and a tendon in her wrist. After considering giving up, she returned and ended 2023 with a W100 title in Dubai.

Kvitova's loss means she won't be back to full strength for a while, but the two-time Wimbledon winner showed she still has the power and accuracy that made her famous.

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