INDIAN WELLS, California, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova was eliminated from the WTA 1000 event at Indian Wells on Wednesday, losing 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to France's Varvara Gracheva in the first round.
World No. 70 Gracheva won 68 percent of points on her first serve and 56 percent on her second to take the match in two hours and 22 minutes against the 34-year-old Czech.
Kvitova, who won Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014, is still searching for her first victory since returning from a 16-month break in which she gave birth to her first child.
"I really want to congratulate her," Gracheva said in an on-court interview. "She had a child quite recently and I'm so happy that she now has the role of a mother and a tennis player, which is very demanding. It's very inspiring for sports, athletes, women - it's just amazing. Petra, my admiration to you. You're the best."
Kvitova, 34, struggled for rhythm against her Russian-born opponent, committing a series of uncharacteristic unforced errors, including eight double faults.
Gracheva will meet Russian ninth seed Mirra Andreeva in the next round with a place in the last 32 at stake. Andreeva, 17, defeated three Grand Slam winners en route to becoming the youngest ever WTA 1000 champion in Dubai last month. ■
