Petra Kvitova wins WTA Championships
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China.org.cn, October 31, 2011
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Czech Republic's Petra Kvitova kisses the trophy after winning the final of the WTA Championships against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in Istanbul, Turkey on Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. |
In front of a packed crowd of over 13,000, Petra Kvitova capped an absolute breakthrough year at the Sinan Erdem Dome on Sunday night, recording an electric 7-5 4-6 6-3 victory over Victoria Azarenka to conquer the WTA Championships and rise to No.2 in the world.
Kvitova stormed to a 5-0 lead in the opening 30 minutes of the final, but Azarenka rallied to level it at 5-5. The Czech player finally converted her fifth set point when Azarenka's forehand sailed out.
Azarenka settled into a consistent baseline game in the second set and clinched it with a forehand winner on the line.
Azarenka's momentum didn't end there. She brought up triple break point as Kvitova served in the first game of the decider, eventually holding a fourth break point later in the game - but Kvitova hung tough at what was perhaps the most critical time of the match, holding that service game then getting the only break of the match in the next game. The two held the rest of the way until Kvitova hit a fierce crosscourt forehand pass that drew one last Azarenka error.
"It's unbelievable to play here," said Kvitova, who beat Azarenka in the Wimbledon semifinals on her way to winning her first Grand Slam title this year. "I didn't expect that I would be sitting here as a champion. It's really a big step for me."
Kvitova is the seventh player to reach the elite WTA Championships final on her debut and is only the third player to win it on her debut after Serena Williams a decade ago and Maria Sharapova in 2004.
She has won six times this season after mounting the winner's rostrum in Brisbane, Paris, Madrid, Wimbledon and Linz.
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