Kvitova wins WTA Championships, ends year as World No 2

Salman Zahoor October 31, 2011 0

Kvitova wins WTA Championships, ends year as World No 2

ISTANBUL: The beautiful Wimbledon Champion women tennis player from Czech Republic, Petra Kvitova, continued haunting her peers on Sunday when she outplayed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus by 7-5 4-6 6-3 to clinch the WTA Championships.

Petra Kvitova. Courtesy: Getty Images

Petra Kvitova is surely the biggest rising star in the current year as the victory in Istanbul has made sure that she will end the remarkable year on a great note by finishing second in the WTA Rankings. It is merit mentioning here that Kvitova, 21, had finished 34^th in the Year 2010.

Caroline Wozniacki continued to keep hold of her World Number 1 rank despite of failing to win even a single Grand Slam title.

Petra Kvitova had lost her way just a little bit after clinching the Wimbledon 2011 title earlier this year as she failed to perform like a champion in the following tournaments but she came back strongly towards the end of the year and proved that she is the biggest rising force in the women’s tennis.

In a combination of elegance, power, ability, and skills, Petra Kvitova claimed the $1.75 million title and did it in style by remaining unbeaten in the event which feathered the world top eight women tennis players.

After racing to 5-0 lead in the first set, Kvitova lost her composure thus letting Azarenka, who will finish the year at World Number 3 position, to sneak her way into the match as after a fierce competition the Czech managed to win the first set at the Sinan Erdem Dome.

It is important to mention here that Victoria Azarenka had a golden opportunity to clinch the second position in the WTA Rankings by winning the final but she couldn’t make it big even after tying the first set at 5-5.

The left-handed Czech then produced a free-flowing game to clinch the opening set. However, the Belarusian opponent hit back strongly in the second set and refused to go down the battle silently as she provided perfect answers to Kvitova’s furious serves and returns.

Kvitova had lost her touch and Azarenka started the third set in a dominating mood but her inability to execute three break points cost her dearly and gave her Czech opponent the chance to review her game and she certainly did find her touch back and thereafter she never looked back.

This is the first time since 1997 that a Czech player has won the WTA Championships as the last time it was Jana Novotna who had done her country proud.

Kvitova is due to lead Czech Republic in the Fed Cup against Russia next week and the 21-year-old marvelous tennis player told the media persons after her victory, “When I started the season I was 34, and I didn’t expect that I will be sitting here as champion and I have grand slam already. Really it’s unbelievable. It’s really a big step for me.”

On the other hand, Victoria Azarenka hailed her opponent who has now won her last 19 indoor matches. She said, “Petra really started well, caught me a little bit off-guard, she was so aggressive. I’m glad I could fight my way back and try to stay in the match. I really gave it all today.”