Czech tennis player Petra Kvitova defeated Victoria Azarenka 7-5 4-6 6-3 to win the WTA Championships on 30 October 2011 in Istanbul. Kvitova took home $1.75 million and Azarenka collected $775000.
The 21-year-old Czech had shot to fame by winning Wimbledon 2011. She remained undefeated at the year-ending event that featured the world’s top eight players.
Victory also confirmed Kvitova at a career-high second in the WTA rankings after ending 2010 in 34th spot.
She is the first Czech to win the WTA Championships since Jana Novotna in 1997.
Kvitova had also defeated Azarenka in the Wimbledon semifinals on her way to winning her first Grand Slam title in 2011.
Kvitova has won six titles in 2011, the same number as No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and twice as many as Azarenka.
Czech holds a 4-2 head-to-head record over Azarenka, who was playing in the championships for the third time and will return to a career-high No. 3 in the new rankings by reaching the final. It was the first time she advanced beyond the round-robin stage.
Istanbul’s ability to host the tournament was perceived as integral to the national campaign to host the 2020 Olympics.
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