Petra Kvitova is undergoing surgery to her left hand after fighting off an intruder who held a knife to her throat in her home.

The 26-year-old two-time Wimbledon champion said she was “fortunate to be alive” after defending herself during a robbery in her apartment in Prostejove, Czech Republic.

The intruder posed as a utilities man seeking to read a meter to gain access to the apartment, Press Association Sport reported, before a struggle ensued.

It is understood the knife was put to Kvitova’s throat and her hand was injured as she pulled the weapon away.

The full extent of the injury to her racket-holding hand is still to be declared, but the operation to attend to the injuries is expected to take around four hours.

The intruder fled the scene after stealing 5,000 Czech Koruna (£155), according to sport.cz.

The assailant yesterday afternoon was still being sought by police.

“I am shaken, but fortunate to be alive,” Kvitova wrote on Facebook.

“The injury is severe and I will need to see specialists, but if you know anything about me I am strong and I will fight this.”

Kvitova thanked supporters for their messages, described the attack and that her left hand was injured as she defended herself.

“Thank you for all your heartwarming messages,” she added.

“As you may have already heard, today I was attacked in my apartment by an individual with a knife.

“In my attempt to defend myself, I was badly injured on my left hand.

“Thank you all again for your love and support and now I would appreciate some privacy while I focus on my recovery.”

Her publicist Karel Tejkal said it was not a targeted attack.

He told sport.cz: “It is apparently a random criminal act.”

Fellow Czech player Lucie Safarova, speaking at an event which Kvitova had been due to attend, told Czech radio: “Things like that are shocking to us all. It could happen to any one of us.”

Earlier yesterday Kvitova an-nounced on Twitter she would be missing January’s Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia as she continues to recover from a foot injury.

The Australian Open begins in Melbourne on January 16 and her participation could be in further doubt.

Kvitova has two grand slam titles, winning Wimbledon in 2011 and 2014.

She has two WTA singles titles in 2016 and a career total of 19, with career prize money of more than $22.8 million.