Czech mate as Kvitova becomes Wimbledon champion

Petra Kvitova has outgunned the favourite Maria Sharapova to win her first Wimbledon singles title with a 6-3 6-4 victory.

The 21-year-old Czech eighth seed reached the semi-finals last year having never previously won a match on grass.

Victory this year sees here become only the third left-handed player to win the title after Anne Jones and Martina Navratilova.

Kvitova dropped her serve in a nervous opening game but stormed back immediately to dominate the rest of the match.

Sharapova, who won the title as a 17-year-old in 2004, had reached the final without dropping a set but her serve appeared to fall apart and she had no answer to her opponent’s powerful groundstrokes.

The new champion said: “It’s hard to find the words. To stand with the trophy and see great champions in the Royal Box. Of course I was nervous, I thought I could win Wimbledon, but I had to focus on every point.”