REVEALED: Petra Kvitova's act of bravery amid knife attack horror

Two years after a terrifying home invasion that almost ended her tennis career, Petra Kvitova’s ordeal isn’t quite over.

Kvitova is still fighting memories of the attack at her home by a knife-wielding burglar in 2016, which left her with horrific injuries to her dominant left hand.

However the mental scars will last a lot longer, and she’s about to re-live the harrowing ordeal in court.

BIZARRE: Feud erupts between tennis star’s coach and mother

‘DIDN’T EVEN SAY CONGRATS’: Mum’s bizarre reaction to Osaka triumph

Kvitova has identified her attacker and is willing to give her testimony in court in February, on the condition she does not have to meet the suspect.

“Petra takes this as an inevitable thing. She knows it’s necessary to put an end to the whole affair,” her spokesman Karel Tejkal told reporters.

Kvitova declined to speak about the attack as she returned home to the Czech Republic on Tuesday.

“Such questions make me a bit angry but I can’t do anything about it. But it will be over some day,” she said.

“I guess this trophy is a chequered flag on those two years,” Kvitova said, looking at the silver plate she won as runner-up at the Australian Open.

One of those to ask her was former World No.1 Jim Courier, on court following her quarter-final win against the home crowd’s favourite Ashleigh Barty.

“I suppose he didn’t want to make me cry, but he did,” Kvitova said.

“The interview was pretty tough, but he’s a nice guy.”

Doctors gave her a 10 per cent chance of again playing elite tennis after the attack, which left her with a near-severed finger and nerve damage.

Czech media has since released disturbing images of Kvitova’s hand immediately after the attack, which can be seen by clicking the link in the following tweet (WARNING: GRAPHIC).

She couldn’t even be alone in a change room when she returned to the main stage at the 2017 French Open.

‘Chequered flag’

But the new World No.2 is positive about the future after her remarkable run to the final in Melbourne.

Having played only two grand slam quarter-finals since her Wimbledon triumph in 2014, Kvitova joked last year that she might as well quit playing at the top four events.

This year’s Australian Open offered a different picture of the Czech, who did not lose a single set on her way to the final.

“I’m glad it was only a joke, that it didn’t happen,” the 28-year-old, who also won Wimbledon in 2011, told reporters in Prague.

“I guess it’s a compensation for last year which wasn’t the best when it comes to Grand Slams,” added Kvitova, who in 2018 reached the last-32 phase at the French and US Open, bowing out of the Australian Open and Wimbledon at the first hurdle.

“I wasn’t too happy after the loss but now the positive things prevail,” she said.

“I felt very well throughout those three weeks I played in Australia.”

Kvitova started the year poorly at Brisbane where she lost in the last 16, but she took the top honours at Sydney a week later — at a tournament where she initially was not expecting to play.

Nice messages

Sympathy poured in from the Australian audience and from fellow players.

“Simona Halep sent me three nice messages — after the Sydney win, after the quarter-final with Ashleigh Barty and after the final,” said Kvitova.

“It’s great to have such good relationships even when you’re at the top of the rankings.”

If Kvitova had won at Melbourne, she would have replaced Halep as the World No.1, an honour that went to Naomi Osaka instead.

“We didn’t talk about the rankings with Simona,” chuckled Kvitova, adding it was not her top priority.

“I’m trying to improve as the games go and I think the rankings will reflect that,” she said.

with agencies