Czech Republic tennis player Petra Kvitova 20190327
Czech Republic's tennis player Petra Kvitova reacts during a news conference after she was injured when she fought off an intruder in her home, damaging all the fingers on her playing hand, in Prague, Czech Republic December 23, 2016 Image Credit: Reuters

Highlights

  • Radim Zondra, 33, was convicted of causing Kvitova serious bodily harm
  • Kvitova testified she opened the door when Zondra rang the doorbell because she was expecting a possible doping control
  • She sustained damage to the tendons in her hand, along with injuries to all five fingers and two nerves

PRAGUE: A man who stabbed two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in her home was sentenced to eight years in prison on Tuesday.

Radim Zondra, 33, was convicted of causing Kvitova serious bodily harm by a regional court in Brno.

The state prosecutor requested 12 years for Zondra, who pleaded not guilty to attacking Kvitova in December 2016 in her apartment in Prostejov.

After a quarterfinal round loss in the Miami Open on Tuesday night, Kvitova addressed the verdict.

"Yeah, I heard that, for sure, I heard that this morning," she said. "I accepted the news. I'm happy for the news and I'm glad it's over now."

Kvitova's spokesman, Karel Tejkal, said she "respects the ruling of an independent court."

"She's satisfied with the verdict because she identified the convicted person as the attacker," Tejkal said.

Zondra can appeal, and so can the prosecution.

Road to recovery

Kvitova had surgery on injuries to her playing left hand. It took the tennis star more than five months to recover.

Kvitova reached the Australian Open final in January, her first Grand Slam final since her second Wimbledon title in 2014. She is ranked a career-high No. 2.

SPO_190112-KVITOVA-(Read-Only)
Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic holds the trophy after beating Australia's Ashleigh Barty in the women's final match at the Sydney International tennis tournament in Sydney on January 12, 2019. Image Credit: AFP

Her testimony provided key evidence for the court to rule in the case, Judge Dagmar Bordovska said.

Kvitova testified she opened the door when Zondra rang the doorbell because she expected a possible doping control. The suspect claimed he came to inspect her boiler.

In the attack, Kvitova sustained damage to the tendons in her hand, along with injuries to all five fingers and two nerves, and underwent nearly four hours of surgery.

While bleeding, she said she offered Zondra money. He accepted 10,000 Czech crowns ($440) and left.

Man with a criminal record

Zondra has a criminal record behind him.

In 2012, he was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for being a member of a gang that attacked lonely pensioners. After he was released when his sentenced was suspended, he gave a tip to a gang of three 2015 to rob a lawyer. The three tortured that person and robbed him of some 50,000 Czech crowns.

For his tip, Zondra received last year a two-and-a-half year prison term he currently serves.