Petra Kvitova: Tennis star tells court of knife attack horror
6 February 2019
Australian Open finalist Petra Kvitova has given graphic testimony at the trial of the man accused of stabbing her in her home in the Czech Republic. She suffered damage to ligaments and tendons in her playing left hand when fighting off an intruder in 2016. The star had surgery and returned to tennis five months after the attack. "There was blood all over the place," she said via video-link to avoid being in the same room as the suspect, who denies the allegations. The suspect, 33-year-old Radim Zondra, faces 12 years in prison if convicted. He is currently serving another prison sentence for a separate offence. His colleagues have said in court that at the time of the incident, in December 2016, he was at work. She said the suspect rang the doorbell and she allowed him to enter as she was expecting a doping test. She said he claimed he had come to inspect the boiler. While checking the hot water in the bathroom, Zondra allegedly grabbed Kvitova from behind before holding a knife to her throat. In a struggle to free herself, the knife badly injured her left hand. She said she offered Zondra money to leave, and he accepted some 10,000 Czech crowns (PS341; $440). Her tendons, fingers and nerves were damaged, resulting in a four-hour surgery. Kvitova made no public comments after the testimony but her spokesman said she was pleased to put it behind her, AP news agency reports.
She said the suspect rang the doorbell and she allowed him to enter as she was expecting a doping test. She said he claimed he had come to inspect the boiler. While checking the hot water in the bathroom, Zondra allegedly grabbed Kvitova from behind before holding a knife to her throat. In a struggle to free herself, the knife badly injured her left hand. She said she offered Zondra money to leave, and he accepted some 10,000 Czech crowns (PS341; $440). Her tendons, fingers and nerves were damaged, resulting in a four-hour surgery. Kvitova made no public comments after the testimony but her spokesman said she was pleased to put it behind her, AP news agency reports.
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What did Kvitova say?