Petra ends year on high

Czech Petra Kvitova poses with the winner's trophy after beating Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in the Istanbul Masters final on Sunday. Kvitova won 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.Photo: AFP

Petra Kvitova, the 21-year-old Czech left-hander who caused a sensation by winning Wimbledon as an outsider four months ago, proved she is now a fully fledged member of the sport's elite by winning the WTA (year-end) Championships.
Kvitova did that with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 win over Victoria Azarenka, the fourth-seeded Belarusian, which earned her the second most important title of her career and further enhanced her growing reputation.
It also gained her a career-high year-end ranking of world number two -- a tremendous surge from the 30th place at which she began 2011.
Asked how her triumph felt compared with winning Wimbledon, Kvitova replied: "It's a little early to say, but compared with Wimbledon it is different. Both are great tournaments.
"Winning a Grand Slam was a very big step. I don't know how it will be going home this time, but I think it will be similar."
Asked whether she aimed to be world number one next year, she said: "I am not focused on that.
"I will be world number two and next season will be different. I may be the favourite all the time, and we will have to see. I t will be strange for me. It will be something new again."
Azarenka commented: "I think I just didn't really step it up," when she was asked about the important first game of the final set when she almost broke Kvitova's serve.
"You know, she played really well those points, but, you know, I could have done better, definitely. But regrets? I don't have regrets. I gave it all."
Kvitova narrowly prevailed in a two-hour 28-minute match because her hard-serving, flat-hitting, all-aggressive style was just about consistent enough to impose itself on Azarenka's more solid, but slightly less potent qualities.
However, had Azarenka converted the two break points she held in the opening game of the final set, she might have added to her already increasing momentum and carried on to victory.
Instead, she had to settle for defeat with honour and a year-end ranking of three, equalling her highest, and suggesting that she too could be a contender for Caroline Wozniacki's number one ranking next year.
In the tense closing stages Kvitova may have been helped by her familiarity with Azarenka's game.
"We know each other very well," she said before the final. "We played twice this year and I won both, so hopefully this final will be better for me mentally."