Kvitova Wins WTA Champs, Tsonga and Cilic Collect Titles
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Wimbledon Champ Kvitova Wins Year-end WTA Championships
The WTA Championships limped to a finish on Sunday when Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova made good on her first Slam title four months ago, defeating Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to finish the year at No. 2 on the WTA Rankings.
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Lacking WTA superstars Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters due to injury, the event also saw former No. 1 Maria Sharapova drop out mid-event with injury.
Kvitova broke early in the third set and rode out the break on serve 6-3.
“It was unbelievable tennis,” Kvitova said. “We were both really fighting. Every game and every set was very close. Maybe I played better on the important points in the match. We both played some of our best here in Istanbul today — it was a final, so why not!” Her six titles on the year equal world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki to end the season.
“It’s hard to lose, but I’m glad I lost to such a champion who deserved to win,” Azarenka said. “Petra was amazing today. She really did a great job.”
Tsonga Comeback Sinks Del Potro in ATP Vienna Crown
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga increased his chances of qualifying for the ATP year-end championships by coming from a set down to defeat former US Open champ Juan Martin Del Potro 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 in Vienna on Sunday for the Erste Bank Open title.
“I will try to take all the pressure off myself. I just want to play every tournament and enjoy it,” Tsonga said of his effort to qualify for the ATP Masters. “I will try to play my best tennis and not think about it the next two weeks, so we’ll see. But of course I hope I will get there.”
Tsonga broke serve in the seventh game of the final set, and served out the set at love. “I broke him back and came back in this final, and finally I did it,” Tsonga said. “It was very special because at the end there was the retirement of Thomas Muster, and Goran Ivanisevic, one of my favorite players, was there. It was a great final and it’s going to stay in my memories.” It was the second title of the year for Tsonga after Metz.
Cilic Outlasts Tipsy for 1st 2011 Title at St. Petersburg
No. 4 seed Marin Cilic upset No. 2 seed Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to capture his first title of the year on Sunday at the St. Petersburg Open in Russia, stopping Tipsarevic from winning a second consecutive title after Moscow.
After winning the final four games, Cilic improved to 6-1 against Tipsarevic. “I managed to push myself into a higher gear in the last set,” Cilic said. “I was close in my other finals [this year] and I think I learned a little bit from them. Today, that pushed me and in the third set, I played my best tennis of the season.”
The 23-year-old Cilic lost in finals this year at Marseille (l. to Robin Soderling), Umag (l. to Alexandr Dolgopolov) and Beijing (l. to Tomas Berdych). Tipsarevic dropped to 2-5 in career finals.
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