<p>Petra Kvitova said she drew on her deep well of experience to come through an epic first set tie-breaker and upset Elena Rybakina 7-6(14) 6-2 for her first Miami Open title on Saturday.</p>.<p>The 33-year-old Czech, who is 10 years older than her opponent, kept her nerve in the game's biggest moments to claim her 30th career title and ninth WTA 1000 crown.</p>.<p>"Experience today played a good role in my mind," Kvitova told reporters after the match.</p>.<p>"I played so many finals. I know I can play well in the final no matter who I'm facing. Mentally it was very important for me to know that."</p>.<p>The former world number two, who had contemplated retirement last year, said her two weeks in Miami as well as her run to the quarter-finals of Indian Wells had left her "really happy and very exhausted."</p>.<p>The loss snapped Indian Wells champion Rybakina's 13-match win streak and ended her hopes of claiming the "Sunshine Double" by winning both hardcourt events.</p>.<p>"This means a lot," Kvitova said.</p>.<p>"The young ones are coming up all the time. It's tough to face them all. It's very tiring," she said with a smile.</p>.<p>With the win Kvitova became the second-oldest women to triumph at the Miami Open, after Serena Williams in 2015. She will now return to the top 10 for the first time since September 2021.</p>.<p>The twice Wimbledon champion made headlines after her semi-final when she said that she opposed Wimbledon's decision to lift its ban on Russian and Belarusian players amid Moscow's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.</p>.<p>"I'm really appreciating that Wimbledon didn't take them last year," she said on Friday.</p>.<p>Wimbledon organizers said it was an "incredibly difficult decision" and that they "condemn totally Russia's illegal invasion." Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation."</p>.<p>Kvitova said athletes from those countries should also not be allowed to compete at the Paris Olympics.</p>.<p>The International Olympic Committee has not yet announced its policy for the Games.</p>
<p>Petra Kvitova said she drew on her deep well of experience to come through an epic first set tie-breaker and upset Elena Rybakina 7-6(14) 6-2 for her first Miami Open title on Saturday.</p>.<p>The 33-year-old Czech, who is 10 years older than her opponent, kept her nerve in the game's biggest moments to claim her 30th career title and ninth WTA 1000 crown.</p>.<p>"Experience today played a good role in my mind," Kvitova told reporters after the match.</p>.<p>"I played so many finals. I know I can play well in the final no matter who I'm facing. Mentally it was very important for me to know that."</p>.<p>The former world number two, who had contemplated retirement last year, said her two weeks in Miami as well as her run to the quarter-finals of Indian Wells had left her "really happy and very exhausted."</p>.<p>The loss snapped Indian Wells champion Rybakina's 13-match win streak and ended her hopes of claiming the "Sunshine Double" by winning both hardcourt events.</p>.<p>"This means a lot," Kvitova said.</p>.<p>"The young ones are coming up all the time. It's tough to face them all. It's very tiring," she said with a smile.</p>.<p>With the win Kvitova became the second-oldest women to triumph at the Miami Open, after Serena Williams in 2015. She will now return to the top 10 for the first time since September 2021.</p>.<p>The twice Wimbledon champion made headlines after her semi-final when she said that she opposed Wimbledon's decision to lift its ban on Russian and Belarusian players amid Moscow's ongoing invasion of Ukraine.</p>.<p>"I'm really appreciating that Wimbledon didn't take them last year," she said on Friday.</p>.<p>Wimbledon organizers said it was an "incredibly difficult decision" and that they "condemn totally Russia's illegal invasion." Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation."</p>.<p>Kvitova said athletes from those countries should also not be allowed to compete at the Paris Olympics.</p>.<p>The International Olympic Committee has not yet announced its policy for the Games.</p>