Eugenie Bouchard of Canada holds the runner up trophy after being defeated by Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic at their women's singles final tennis match at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 5, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

A shower arrived minutes after the brief-as-could-be final concluded. Before the trophy presentation, the retractable roof was closed, and both players left the court for a bit. Bouchard was told to wait in the room used to engrave champions' names.

"I was watching them work," Bouchard said, "wishing one day - dreaming - that he'll write my name somewhere."

The previous time a runner-up won only three games in the Wimbledon final was 1992, when Steffi Graf beat Monica Seles. Before that, it hadn't happened since 1983, when another Czech lefty, Martina Navratilova, defeated Andrea Jaeger.

Just 10 times in the history of a women's tournament first played in 1884 has a champion ceded fewer games in the final than Kvitova did.

Kvitova, who was thrilled to have nine-time champion Navratilova present Saturday, remains the only player born in the 1990s to win a major singles title. Bouchard, 20, would have been the second.

Already a semifinalist at the Australian Open and French Open this season but playing in her first Grand Slam final, Bouchard was a little wowed by the occasion.

"We were holding flowers instead of our tennis bags," Bouchard said. "The applause was really loud when we walked out. That's the main thing that registered in my mind."

When play began, Kvitova immediately took charge, breaking to lead 2-1 with a cross-court forehand winner she celebrated by yelping, "Pojd!" - the Czech equivalent of "Come on!"

Most points were short, but the next game ended with Kvitova taking a 13-stroke exchange, making two terrific defensive stabs to prolong it, before flicking a cross-court backhand passing shot on the run.

Bouchard got one break back to pull within 5-3, but she wouldn't win another game.

"She played unbelievable and didn't give me many opportunities to stay in the rally," Bouchard acknowledged, "or do what I do."

That's what Kvitova, who will rise to No 4 in the rankings Monday, is capable of at Wimbledon.

"I feel really, like, at home. I mean I was really up and down after my title here 2011," said Kvitova, who beat Maria Sharapova in straight sets in the final three years ago. "I was still (working) hard, (believing) in myself."