Petra Kvitova’s winning streak came to an end as the Czech suffered a 6-2, 6-4 loss to 16-year-old Amanda Anisimova in the Indian Wells third round on Sunday.
Kvitova entered the contest having won her 14 previous consecutive matches, a stretch that included two title runs in St. Petersburg and Doha last month and one that matched the longest winning streak of her career.
But the world No. 9 was shocked by her American teenage opponent, who is ranked No. 149 in the world and is the youngest player to reach the fourth round at Indian Wells since Viktoriya Kutuzova in 2005.
“It feels so crazy. I’m shaking right now. This is the biggest stage I’ve ever played on against the strongest player I’ve ever faced,” Anisimova said on court after her triumph.
“She’s an amazing player, she was on a winning streak. I was just trying to stay focused but at the same time I was like ‘Oh my God’.”
Anisimova, who has got missiles for groundstrokes on both the forehand and backhand sides, raced to a one-set lead before Kvitova halted her progress and went up a break early in the second. But the New Jersey-native pegged Kvitova back, drawing level at 3-all then broke for a 5-3 lead.
Serving for the match, Anisimova was broken by a battling Kvitova, who stepped into the court and upped her aggression.
But that only delayed the inevitable as Kvitova quickly fell behind 0-40, handing her opponent three match points and Anisimova converted on her first opportunity on a netted backhand from the Czech.
