Serena. Naomi. As US Open title contenders go, how about Petra Kvitova

Why hasn’t Petra Kvitova done better at the US Open during her career?

“It’s always pretty crowded,” the Czech told ESPN’s Rennae Stubbs after her mostly impressive 6-4, 6-3 win over Jessica Pegula on Friday night. “I like the peace and quiet.”

Kvitova isn’t shy, exactly, but she is easygoing and low-key. Most years, those are not words that anyone would use to describe the US Open. But 2020 is obviously not most years, and the grounds are definitely not crowded. If Kvitova wants peace and quiet, she can find a lot of it in the bubble.

Is this, by itself, a reason to believe that Kvitova can make it past the quarterfinals in New York for the first time, and win the whole tournament? Probably not. But at 30, with six of the Top 10 absent, this would seem to be the year for her to make a push in New York. So far we’ve talked a lot about Serena Williams, Naomi Osaka, and Victoria Azarenka as potential contenders for the women’s crown. Should we also be talking about Kvitova? She’s one of the relatively few players in the draw with major titles to her name, and there aren’t many who can stay with her power.

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Pegula, despite her scrappiest efforts, certainly couldn’t. Kvitova, who at 6’0” has five inches on the American, set the tone by winning the first 10 points on her serve. While the match wasn’t as one-sided as last night’s blowout win by Felix Auger-Aliassime over Andy Murray, the dynamic was similar: One player was constantly attacking, and the other was constantly defending. Both times, the defender could never find a way to seize control of the points, and basically had to hope that the attacker missed.

In fairness, there’s always reason to hope for that when you’re facing Kvitova, whose game can veer from 10 to zero and back to 10 again multiple times during the course of a match, or even just a game. After winning the first set, Kvitova did have one of her lulls. But this time it only lasted two games; once she clicked back in, the match was out of Pegula’s hands. Kvitova finished with 26 winners to just nine for the American, who would win just 35 percent of her second-serve points. There ends Pegula’s summer run, which included a quarterfinal result at the Western & Southern Open and two wins at the US Open.

How far will Kvitova’s run take her, in her bubble of peace and quiet? Unlike Pegula, her next two opponents, Shelby Rogers and possibly Naomi Osaka, will be better equipped to handle her power. Each also has a win over Kvitova at a major. But the Czech will be solidly favored to beat Rogers, and something close to even money against Osaka.

“I’m so happy I decided to come her and play,” Kvitova said tonight.

These days, showing up may be half the battle.