WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS 2011

Kvitova downs Azarenka to win the US$1.75mil jackpot

ISTANBUL: Petra Kvitova provided further proof that she is the rising force in women’s tennis when she beat Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to win the WTA Championships yesterday.

The 21-year-old Czech, who shot to fame by winning Wimbledon this year, produced a display of power and skill to finally overpower the gritty Azarenka and claim the US$1.75mil jackpot after remaining undefeated at the year-ending event which featured the world’s top eight women tennis players.

Victory also confirmed Kvitova at a career-high second in the WTA rankings after ending 2010 in 34th spot and she will enter the new year with No.1 Caroline Wozniacki in her sights.       

Solid form: Petra Kvitova returns the ball to Victoria Azarenka during the WTA Championship final in Istanbul. Kvitova won 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. —AFP

Left-handed Kvitova’s free-flowing game took her into a 5-0 lead in the opening set inside the Sinan Erdem Dome but she lost the next five games as the errors began to stack up.       

She finally edged the opening set on a fifth set point but Azarenka, who could also have taken the number two ranking with victory, refused to be cowed by her opponent’s superior firepower and kept her nose front to win the second set.       

Azarenka had three break points at the start of the third set but could not convert any of them and it was to prove a pivotal moment as Kvitova regained control to take the title on her debut at the showpiece tournament.

● VIENNA: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bounced back from a set behind and a service break down to beat Juan Martin del Potro for the first time and win the Vienna ATP tournament yesterday.

The Frenchman’s 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 win also kept him on course for a place in the season-ending World Tour Finals in London next month, moving him to seventh place in the 2011 rankings ahead of Mardy Fish.

Top-seeded Tsonga crashed 25 aces on his way to a first win in four meetings over the former US Open champion, who has been fighting his way back to form after being plagued by a wrist injury last year.

“That was really tough,” said Tsonga. “Juan Martin played very well.

“I lost a little motivation after losing the first set but fortunately I got it back quickly.”

Neither player managed to break serve in the first set and, having fought back from a break point down in the tiebreak, Tsonga then served a double fault to hand Del Potro the opportunity.

The Argentine duly took it when Tsonga over-hit a forehand.

Del Potro appeared to be heading for a win when he broke in the third game of the second set, but Tsonga replied in the next game in what appeared to be the turning point of the match.

The Frenchman broke again in the sixth game when, having missed one break point, he was handed another by a Del Potro double fault and gleefully seized it with a stunning forehand drive down the line.

In the third set, the 26-year-old served nine aces and broke in the seventh game to claim his second ATP title of the year following his win in Metz. — Reuters

Source: Thestar