Cibulkova, Petkovic combine for 23 breaks of serve

In a thrilling Wimbledon opening round, No. 8 seeded Dominika Cibulkova stood tall at Wimbledon. Her 6-3, 3-6, 9-7 win over Andrea Petkovic was the kind of comeback that could ignite the streaky Slovak.

After winning the WTA Finals in Singapore over world No. 1 Angelique Kerber last year, Cibulkova had struggled with a 14-14 record in 2017.

Her performance on Monday was an important win, but a heartbreaker for Petkovic who responded with her usual classy congratulations at the net.

The ebbs and flows of the match were startling with no real advantage in serving. The women combined for 23 converted breaks against 47 breakpoints.

Late in the third set, Petkovic provided a nervous moment with a big fall, but she made a strong recovery.

Meanwhile, Cibulkova served for the match four times and finally converted her sixth match point.

"It was extremely tough match," Cibulkova said in her post-match press conference. "I knew it was going to be a tough one against Andrea. We know each other pretty well. I think my game suits her game, so I knew it's gonna be tough one."

The 29-year-old Petkovic, once ranked as high as No. 9, has endured a career of injuries and close losses in big matches, while Cibulkova is seeking her first major final since the Australian Open in 2014.

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