Man Who Stabbed Petra Kvitova Gets Eight-Year Prison Sentence

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.

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.

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

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.

Zondra is currently serving a prison term for a different crime.