Rivalry on upswing: Tennis’s Azarenka and Kvitova

Martina Navratilova expects a compelling rivalry to develop between Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka and Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova. Speaking ahead of an exhibition match at the Open GDF tournament in Paris on Sunday, Navratilova said Azarenka and Kvitova have all the right attributes. “I think we definitely have the possibility of a great rivalry between Azarenka and Kvitova,” the tennis great said. “They are very talented players. They have really intense personalities. They’re very professional about how they go about it. If they stay healthy, that’s the rivalry to come.” Navratilova was at the heart of the greatest rivalry in women’s tennis when she and Chris Evert split Grand Slam titles in the 1970s and 80s. – AP