Petra Kvitova recovers from stab injuries to play in French Open

Petra Kvitova will make her comeback at the French Open, her representative has confirmed.

The two-time Wimbledon champion suffered serious hand injuries when she was stabbed by an intruder at her home in the Czech Republic on December 20.

It had been thought Kvitova would not be able to return until later in the summer at the earliest but her recovery has been quicker than expected.

Kvitova announced in April she would be on the entry list for Roland Garros but had been unsure even when she travelled to Paris on Wednesday whether she would play.

But practice has gone well enough for Kvitova to commit to taking to the court for her first-round match against Julia Boserup of the United States.

The 27-year-old is one of the most popular players on tour and her return is a huge boost for the tournament and women's tennis.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Kvitova underwent an operation lasting three hours and 45 minutes.

Her surgeon, Doctor Radek Kebrle, said: "The injury was horrific. The chances of Petra's hand healing well enough for her to be able to play tennis again were very low for multiple reasons."

Kvitova will give her first public press conference later on Friday afternoon at Roland Garros.