Tribute to Novotna marks tearful Fed Cup return for Kvitova

PRAGUE: A minute's silence for the late Wimbledon champion Jana Novotna made Petra Kvitova's Fed Cup comeback following a 15-month break a very emotional experience on Saturday.

The tribute to fellow Czech Novotna, who died aged 49 last November after a long battle with cancer, came just before Kvitova's first Fed Cup rubber since a knife-wielding burglar cut her racquet hand in December 2016.

"We went onto the court and held the minute's silence which made us cry," the 27-year-old two-time Wimbledon champion Kvitova told reporters after beating Switzerland's Viktorija Golubic 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 to hand the Czechs a 1-0 lead.

"We thought, what a beginning, it's not ideal to go out there and play tennis right now."

Under a large portrait of 1998 Wimbledon champion Novotna holding the trophy, the Czech team remained silent for a while, then started a round of applause which was shared by the crowd in Prague's O2 Arena.

"It was very sad... but a nice gesture," said Kvitova.

Having led the Czech Republic to five Fed Cup titles in six years, Kvitova last lifted the trophy in November 2016, a month before the attack at her home by the burglar who is still at large.

Former world number two Kvitova took six months to recover and return to the sport. She is currently 21 in the rankings following her victory at St Petersburg last weekend.

While she was recovering, the Czechs were ousted from the 2017 Fed Cup by the United States in the semi-finals last April.

Coming back to the Fed Cup, "I felt a bit of a deficit," said Kvitova.

"I had to get used to it. I couldn't help thinking I haven't played for a year and a half not because I decided not to play or because I wasn't in a shape."

"And then, there was that picture (of Novotna) holding the Wimbledon trophy and I started thinking about her funeral and about Jana and I won't say anything else or I'll start crying again."