Nadia Petrova has followed up her steamrolling of Kim Clijsters with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win over Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round of the Australian Open.
The Russian feels she is finally at peak fitness after being held back by injuries and illness during the past few years. "I think it has a lot to do with my pre-season [training]," said Petrova. "I had six weeks of hard work. I really took my fitness to another level, especially because last season has been difficult with the injury.
"I guess going out there for each single match, I know what I've done. I know how much gas I have in my tank, so I know that I can really push and dig really deep."
The 27-year-old, whose on-court mental struggles have been as notable as her physical woes, has also gained perspective from the low periods.
"I've learned to deal with the losses and I've learned to keep the motivation always up," she said. "Maybe right now because of that, I feel a little bit more relaxed. I'm not as stressed if I make a silly mistake or something doesn't go my way because, you know, I still can make the best out of this day. Not necessary that it's going to be on the tennis court. "
Petrova hopes her recent run is a sign she's bakc on the path that saw her reach two Grand Slam semifinals and the No. 3 ranking in the mid-2000s. "That's why, I'm still here. That's why I'm working hard and digging deep, because I know there's still a lot to accomplish," she said.