LONDON (Reuters) – Will winning Wimbledon be a life-changing experience for the Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova? Not if she can help it.

“I’m not thinking of myself as a star. I just want to stay and be normal like I am, hopefully,” the shy 21-year-old, who lives in sleepy Fulnek where there are just a handful of tennis courts, told reporters on Saturday.

“Hopefully I’m still the same person. Hopefully there’ll be no change in my life.”

Asked how she felt about all the media attention that will inevitably come her way following the 6-3 6-4 defeat of Maria Sharapova in Saturday’s final, Kvitova just apologised for being weary after a draining two weeks.

“I’m so tired so I’m sorry if there’s something wrong,” the newest member of the grand-slam winners’ club said with a smile.

Russian Sharapova is the world’s highest paid sportswoman and is engaged to twice NBA champion Sasha Vujacic. Kvitova’s life is a little different.

“Every night I had a pineapple with my fitness coach,” she said, beginning to giggle, when asked about her tournament rituals.

LONDON, July 2 (Reuters) – Will winning Wimbledon be a life-changing experience for the Czech Republic’s Petra Kvitova? Not if she can help it.

“I’m not thinking of myself as a star. I just want to stay and be normal like I am, hopefully,” the shy 21-year-old, who lives in sleepy Fulnek where there are just a handful of tennis courts, told reporters on Saturday.

“Hopefully I’m still the same person. Hopefully there’ll be no change in my life.”

Asked how she felt about all the media attention that will inevitably come her way following the 6-3 6-4 defeat of Maria Sharapova in Saturday’s final, Kvitova just apologised for being weary after a draining two weeks.

“I’m so tired so I’m sorry if there’s something wrong,” the newest member of the grand-slam winners’ club said with a smile.

Russian Sharapova is the world’s highest paid sportswoman and is engaged to twice NBA champion Sasha Vujacic. Kvitova’s life is a little different.

“Every night I had a pineapple with my fitness coach,” she said, beginning to giggle, when asked about her tournament rituals.

LONDON (Reuters) – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga said a warning from the chair umpire about slow play had disrupted his rhythm during his four-set loss to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semi-finals on Friday.

Tsonga broke Djokovic’s serve in the first game of the match and served for the opening set but after a few words in French from Portuguese Carlos Ramos, he was broken by the Serbian second seed.

“I started well then at 5-4 the umpire told me to take less time between points. I said ‘Yes’,” Tsonga told reporters.

“It’s complicated because he said that I was taking a bit longer than allowed…then he said nothing.

“There are other players who I play from time to time who take their time too…but no one ever says anything.”

Although Tsonga won a dramatic third-set tiebreak 11-9, his epic five-set win over Roger Federer in the quarter-finals seemed to take its toll and Djokovic completed a 7-6 6-2 6-7 6-3 victory.

“I went off the boil,” the French 12th seed said, adding that he had enjoyed diving around Center Court to entertain the crowds.

LONDON, July 1 (Reuters) – Jo-Wilfried Tsonga said a warning from the chair umpire about slow play had disrupted his rhythm during his four-set loss to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon semi-finals on Friday.

Tsonga broke Djokovic’s serve in the first game of the match and served for the opening set but after a few words in French from Portuguese Carlos Ramos, he was broken by the Serbian second seed.

“I started well then at 5-4 the umpire told me to take less time between points. I said ‘Yes’,” Tsonga told reporters.

“It’s complicated because he said that I was taking a bit longer than allowed…then he said nothing.

“There are other players who I play from time to time who take their time too…but no one ever says anything.”

Although Tsonga won a dramatic third-set tiebreak 11-9, his epic five-set win over Roger Federer in the quarter-finals seemed to take its toll and Djokovic completed a 7-6 6-2 6-7 6-3 victory.

“I went off the boil,” the French 12th seed said, adding that he had enjoyed diving around Centre Court to entertain the crowds.

LONDON (Reuters) – Favourite Maria Sharapova served 13 double faults in just 87 minutes yet still set up a Wimbledon final against Petra Kvitova after beating Sabine Lisicki 6-4 6-3 in an error-strewn semi-final on Thursday.

The Russian fifth seed, who won the grasscourt grand slam in 2004, slipped 3-0 down to the German wildcard in the first set but found her groove as her opponent battled with nerves.

“She played really well and I did quite the opposite,” the Russian said in a televised interview.

In truth neither player ever really got going, a combined count of 32 unforced errors telling the tale of a match that barely captivated a far from full Centre Court as mobile phones went off towards the end.

Sharapova will not care given she had not reached the final since her 2004 triumph.

“To be in the final again is a great achievement for me. I haven’t got past the fourth round in quite a few years,” she said.

Several spots of rain fell in the second set, Lisicki pausing briefly to enquire whether it was safe to continue, but the showers stayed away and play continued.

LONDON (Reuters) – Favorite Maria Sharapova served 13 double faults in just 87 minutes yet still set up a Wimbledon final against Petra Kvitova after beating Sabine Lisicki 6-4 6-3 in an error-strewn semi-final on Thursday.

The Russian fifth seed, who won the grasscourt grand slam in 2004, slipped 3-0 down to the German wildcard in the first set but found her groove as her opponent battled with nerves.

“She played really well and I did quite the opposite,” the Russian said in a televised interview.

In truth neither player ever really got going, a combined count of 32 unforced errors telling the tale of a match that barely captivated a far from full Center Court as mobile phones went off toward the end.

Sharapova will not care given she had not reached the final since her 2004 triumph.

“To be in the final again is a great achievement for me. I haven’t got past the fourth round in quite a few years,” she said.

Several spots of rain fell in the second set, Lisicki pausing briefly to enquire whether it was safe to continue, but the showers stayed away and play continued.

LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) – Favourite Maria Sharapova served 13 double faults in just 87 minutes yet still set up a Wimbledon final against Petra Kvitova after beating Sabine Lisicki 6-4 6-3 in an error-strewn semi-final on Thursday.

The Russian fifth seed, who won the grasscourt grand slam in 2004, slipped 3-0 down to the German wildcard in the first set but found her groove as her opponent battled with nerves.

“She played really well and I did quite the opposite,” the Russian said in a televised interview.

In truth neither player ever really got going, a combined count of 32 unforced errors telling the tale of a match that barely captivated a far from full Centre Court as mobile phones went off towards the end.

Sharapova will not care given she had not reached the final since her 2004 triumph.

“To be in the final again is a great achievement for me. I haven’t got past the fourth round in quite a few years,” she said.

Several spots of rain fell in the second set, Lisicki pausing briefly to enquire whether it was safe to continue, but the showers stayed away and play continued.

LONDON (Reuters) – John Tomic’s passion for tennis and his family knows no bounds, occasionally landing him in hot water, but his methods have produced arguably the game’s next big thing and he says there is more to come.

His 18-year-old son Bernard made a big splash at a rainy Wimbledon by reaching the quarter-finals but the coach and father reckons his daughter Sara could “dominate” tennis even more.

“His sister is 13 and she will be better than him. She’s a better talent,” the burly Croatian, who moved his family to Australia from Germany in the 1990s, told Reuters.

“She’s number one in Australia for her age. She’s in the under-14 squad. I have people working with her and she’s in very good hands.”

Sara must be good if she rivals Bernard, who became the youngest Wimbledon quarter-finalist since Boris Becker in 1986 and gave world number two Novak Djokovic a tough test before succumbing in four sets.

“In the next one and a half to two years when Bernard is more physically complete, I think he will dominate. There will be more variety of shots which will be very hard for his opponents to read,” his dad said.

Tennis players’ parents have long caused controversy.

LONDON, June 30 (Reuters) – John Tomic’s passion for tennis and his family knows no bounds, occasionally landing him in hot water, but his methods have produced arguably the game’s next big thing and he says there is more to come.

His 18-year-old son Bernard made a big splash at a rainy Wimbledon by reaching the quarter-finals but the coach and father reckons his daughter Sara could “dominate” tennis even more.

“His sister is 13 and she will be better than him. She’s a better talent,” the burly Croatian, who moved his family to Australia from Germany in the 1990s, told Reuters.

“She’s number one in Australia for her age. She’s in the under-14 squad. I have people working with her and she’s in very good hands.”

Sara must be good if she rivals Bernard, who became the youngest Wimbledon quarter-finalist since Boris Becker in 1986 and gave world number two Novak Djokovic a tough test before succumbing in four sets.

“In the next one and a half to two years when Bernard is more physically complete, I think he will dominate. There will be more variety of shots which will be very hard for his opponents to read,” his dad said.

Tennis players’ parents have long caused controversy.

LONDON (Reuters) – Mardy Fish bowed out to world number one Rafa Nadal in the quarter-finals on Wednesday to end American interest in the Wimbledon singles but in the shape of Ryan Harrison the U.S. has hope for the future.

The 19-year-old is poised to move up by around 20 places from his latest ranking of 122nd and after a five-set tussle with seventh seed David Ferrer in the second round he is brimming with confidence.

“I can play with anyone if I’m playing well,” he told Reuters.

“I feel like my game has the firepower to play with anyone. I’ve had a couple of matches, against Roger (Federer) at Indian Wells I had some chances in the tiebreak,” he said of his 7-6 6-3 loss to the 16-times grand slam champion in March.

“Then against (Robin) Soderling at the French Open I had some chances in the fourth set to push a fifth set, so I’ve had some good matches against guys in the top 10.”

Compatriots above Harrison in the rankings include American number one and ninth-ranked Fish and 2003 U.S. Open champion and his mentor Andy Roddick.

While fully aware Harrison has a long way to go, Roddick said the youngster has what it takes to revitalise the game in the U.S.