Petra Kvitova: Wimbledon champion to play in Eastbourne

Reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova will play at the Aegon International in Eastbourne in June.

The 25-year-old lost the first match of her return to the WTA Tour last week, after a six-week break for exhaustion.

"It is a special tournament for me and one I always enjoy playing," said the Czech, who won her second Wimbledon title last summer.

"From the first round, every match is tough which makes it the perfect warm-up event in the week before Wimbledon."

Kvitova, the world number four, returned to action earlier this month in the Fed Cup, winning both her matches to help the Czech Republic reach the final for the fourth time in five years.

But she was beaten in three sets by American Madison Brengle in the second round of the Stuttgart Grand Prix on Thursday.

Kvitova, who won her first Wimbledon title in 2011, beat Canada's Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets in last year's final.

The left-hander reached the quarter-finals at the Aegon International last year and was runner-up in Eastbourne in 2011.

This year's tournament at Devonshire Park takes place between 20 and 27 June.