Petra Kvitova says she is “really happy” to be back in a Grand Slam final and feels she has proven her doubters wrong.
The Czech star sustained a career-threatening hand injury after being attacked by intruders at her home in December 2016 and Kvitova believes most observers expected her to be unable return to the top of her game.
The 28-year-old struggled at the major events last year, with her best results being third-round appearances at Wimbledon and the US Open, but has been in sensational form at the Australian Open and has reached the final without dropping a set.
Kvitova is delighted to have a chance to claim a third Grand Slam crown, and first away from Wimbledon, ahead of her final clash with US Open champion Naomi Osaka.
“I’m still not really believing that I’m in the final. I didn’t know even if I was going to play tennis again,” she said.
She added: “It was a lot of work with the hand, a lot of recovery, treatment. I think the sport life helped me a lot with that. I just set up the mind that I really wanted to come back, and I just did everything.
“Those three months were very, very tough. I found out lately that my doctor wasn’t really happy with my hand during the second month, because the scars were very, very tight and hard, and I couldn’t really do anything with that. Luckily he didn’t tell me during that period. It’s been a long journey.
“I’m really happy to be back (in a final) again. I think not very many people believe that I can do that again, to stand on the court and play tennis and play at this level. It was just really a few of them, I think.”
