7 Feb 2019

Kvitova tells court of knife attack

2:31 pm on 7 February 2019

Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has told a Czech court how she grabbed her attacker's knife and forced it away from her neck during an attack in 2016.

Petra Kvitova

Petra Kvitova Photo: Photosport

Kvitova was testifying at the assault trial of 33-year-old Radim Zondra who had posed as a workman to get into her flat in what's believed to have been a random attack.

The former world number two suffered severe wounds to her playing left hand in the incident after being cut with a 10-inch blade. After fours hours of surgery, the tendon damage meant it was uncertain if she would ever be able to play again as a result.

Six months later she returned to professional tennis in May 2017, crowning her comeback 18 months later with her first final appearance at last month's Australian Open.

The accused Zondra faces between five to twelve years in jail if convicted.