ROME — Nikola Bartunkova’s tennis is daring and extravagant, the definition of a spectacle.<\/p>\n
And on Pietrangeli, it felt right at home. By the end of her 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 third-round upset of No. 17 seed Madison Keys at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia on Sunday, the 20-year-old Czech had the crowd fully behind her with swashbuckling net-rushes and deft drop shots. She responded in kind, greeting nearly every big point with a raised fist.<\/p>\n
Bartunkova saved her best tennis for the end. After a third set dominated by strong holds from both players, she took over the final game — first with another fearless drop shot, then with a forehand winner driven down the line. Moments later, she had sealed the second Top 20 win of her career.<\/p>\n
Off court, Bartunkova cuts a far quieter figure than the one she brings to the court.<\/p>\n
“I don’t know really how I did it,” she said of that final game.\u00a0“I tried my best, my best shots. [Trying to have fun] is my character. I loved tennis since when I was a kid, so I enjoy every moment, every hit.”<\/p>\n
Inevitably, Bartunkova’s style has drawn comparisons to another Czech exponent of flash and flair.<\/p>\n
Karolina Muchova and Bartunkova train at the same club in Prague. On Friday, they warmed up together — the day No. 94-ranked Bartunkova got into the main draw as a lucky loser, replacing Victoria Mboko. <\/p>\n
Talk of her talent is already making the rounds in the locker room. Madrid semifinalist Anastasia Potapova, who defeated her 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in qualifying, said she was not surprised at all to see her still in the draw.<\/p>\n
“When I stepped out from our match that day, I spoke with my team,” Potapova said after defeating Liudmila Samsonova on Sunday. “The first thing I said, ‘Geez, this girl is so good.’ She has it all. She serves well, moves well, plays offensive, defensive. She can do it all. I said that I didn’t expect it to be this tough, to be honest. I cannot say that I’m very surprised now by her win today, because her level is higher than maybe we all think.”<\/p>\n
Lucky loser Bartunkova denies Italian wild card Grant in Rome thriller<\/p>\n
Ranked No. 508 this time last year, Bartunkova has surged on to the main tour over the past year. A semifinal run in Guadalajara last year launched her into the Top 150, and on her Grand Slam debut at the Australian Open in January she reached the third round as a qualifier — capturing her first Top 10 win over Belinda Bencic along the way. (The scoreline, 6-3, 0-6, 6-4, was eerily similar to her win against Keys on Sunday.)<\/p>\n
After her third-round win, Bartunkova took the time to talk to wtatennis.com about her journey:<\/p>\n
What’s your first memory of watching tennis, whether on TV or in real life?<\/p>\n
In real life, I went to a lot of Billie Jean King Cups. But on TV, when Petra Kvitova won Wimbledon [when Bartunkova was five years old]. In moments when I was a kid, she was my favorite player. Still she is, but she retired. But her style and personality, I really like. I met her a few times, and I watched her matches and her practises, but I never talked with her.<\/p>\n
Is putting on a show important for you, with all your hot shots and bold plays?<\/p>\n
Yeah, that’s my game. I like to volley, to go to the net, to do more drop shots. That’s my game and I will play it forever.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Is it hard to balance the glory shots that look good\u00a0versus the shots you need to play to win?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Right, right. But that’s my game from since when I was a kid. That’s why I play and I think it’s really good.<\/p>\n
You were on a beautiful court playing a beautiful style — do you think that tennis is art as well as sport?<\/p>\n
Could be. The court with the statues is probably now my favourite court of the year, so maybe tennis is a little bit art, too. [Rome] is my favorite 1000, but it’s not about my results — I said that before the tournament, it’s the most beautiful court and I really like to be here.<\/p>\n
When did you find out that you would be a lucky loser and how\u00a0much time did you have to prepare? <\/p>\n
In the morning [on Friday] — I had a lot of time. Every time — Miami, Indian Wells and Madrid — I lost in the final of qualies and every time I was waiting for a lucky loser [spot]. So the fourth time, I finally got it. Even luckier.<\/p>\n
Were you thinking about the Bencic match during the third set against Keys? The scorelines were nearly the same, and you still haven’t lost against a Top 20 player in your career.<\/p>\n
Yeah, the Belinda match was a bit similar with this match. I remembered it today. It’s good to hear that I won [against these opponents], but I think every day is a different day.<\/p>\n