Kvitova narrowly beaten on return to WTA Tour in Austin

Former world No 2 Petra Kvitova was beaten on her return to the WTA Tour as she was edged out 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 by Britain’s Jodie Burrage in the first round of the Austin Open at the Westwood Country Club on Tuesday evening.

The Czech, twice the Wimbledon champion, looked good early on in her first match for 17 months after having her first child last summer.

The 34-year-old dominated the first set and had several chances to get the vital break in the decider but Burrage, ranked 189, held on to reach the second round, helped hugely by 14 aces.

Burrage will face Australian wildcard Ajla Tomljanovic next.

Burrage described Kvitova as a legend of women’s tennis.

“She’s an absolute champion, I knew I was going to have to fight out here,” Burrage said, quoted by the WTA Tour website. “Got off to a pretty shaky start but she came out like she hadn’t been away for 17 months. She was slapping everything and it was going in, so I knew then who I was up against.

“There was no doubt in my mind that she’s the same player that she was when she was on tour 17 months ago. Very happy with how I composed myself, got myself back in that match, and fought until the end.”

Austin WTA 250, other first-round results (Westwood Country Club, hard, USD 275.094, most recent results first):

• Suzan Lamens vs. Kamilla Rakhimova
• Tatiana Prozorova vs. Diana Shnaider
• McCartney Kessler vs. Catherine McNally
• Sorana Cirstea vs. Laura Siegemund
• Greet Minnen vs. Sijia Wei
• Varvara Gracheva vs. Peyton Stearns
• Anastasia Zakharova vs. Caroline Dolehide
• Jessica Pegula vs. Arantxa Rus
• Cristina Bucsa vs. Bernarda Pera: tuesday
• Kaja Juvan vs. Ena Shibahara: tuesday
• Tatjana Maria beat Anna Bondar: 6-4, 4-6, 6-1
• Anna Blinkova beat Moyuka Uchijima (6): 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
• Kimberly Birrell beat Yue Yuan (4): 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5)
• Nuria Parrizas Diaz beat Malaika Rapolu (WC): 6-2, 6-4
• Ajla Tomljanovic beat Katie Volynets (7): 7-6 (3), 7-5