Thursday 22 December 2016 18:59, UK
Petra Kvitova is due to leave hospital on Friday and will spend Christmas at home after surgery on a hand injury sustained in a knife attack.
The 26-year-old two-time Wimbledon champion suffered serious injuries to her racket-holding left hand in an assault by an intruder at her apartment in the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
Kvitova faces a lengthy rehabilitation process but she received positive news from her surgeon, who told her she had a chance of resuming playing in six months after the operation went without complications.
In a further boost, her spokesperson confirmed she will be discharged from hospital on Friday to spend the festive period recuperating with her family.
Before doing so, the world No 11 will hold a press conference in Prague.
Kvitova said she was "shaken but fortunate to be alive" after the attack and underwent surgery lasting nearly four hours.
She will begin slow rehabilitation in around six to eight weeks and, if that goes well, should be able to grip a racket in three months.
However, given the length of the process and the uncertainties surrounding recovery from such an injury, it seems highly unlikely Kvitova will be ready to return in time for Wimbledon, her favourite tournament.
Kvitova's attacker is still at large and Czech police have asked the public for help.
