Petra Kvitova, WTA champion
Some year for Petra
Petra Kvitova began the 2011 season as a rather unknown lanky Czech ranked No 34 in the world. She has finished it as the world No 2, Wimbledon champion, and WTA champion, and with over $5 million in prize money. Not bad for a 21 year-old.
The Czech was at her gut-screeching best for the first five games of the final against Victoria Azarenka, throwing in aces and drop shots alongside her fearsome forehand to lead 5-0. But then she went walkabout, dropping four games in a row to Azarenka, who to her credit, didn’t waste the opportunity. Although Kvitova sneaked the first set 7-5, Azarenka, with the crowd firmly behind her, battled back to take the second. But then Kvitova decided to find one of her purple patches, and despite squandering a championship point at 5-2, served out for a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 victory.
She is now odds-on favourite to be crowned the WTA player of the year.
Young and old
The WTA’s top three singles players may all be aged 22 and younger when the new rankings come out on Monday, but that doesn’t mean the age of the golden oldie is over.
38 year-old Lisa Raymond and 35 year-old Liezel Huber used their combined aged of 73 to excellent effect to become the WTA doubles champions. They beat Kveta Peschke and Katerina Srebotnik 6-4, 6-4, Huber became world No 1, and they now have their sights set on the Olympics. And why on earth not.
As for the young guns, it's safe to say that we can expect to see plenty more of Kvitova and Azarenka in 2012 – both of them are not at all far off Wozniacki in terms of points, just 115 for Kvitova, so we could well have a new world No 1 during the Australian Open.
Turkey done good
The week in Istanbul has been such a success from the WTA’s point of view that Stacey Allaster, WTA CEO and Chairman, compared it to the glory days of Madison Square Garden. Slight exaggeration, perhaps.
But the fact remains this tournament has been very illuminating from a fan-base point of view. 11,000 people a day, peaking at 13,676, and with 70,824 in total? Quite something.
That’s what happens when you price tickets at 10 and 20 lira (£3 and £7).
The great grunting debate
"I thought we'd get away without that," joked Stacey Allaster as grunting came up in conversation again, confirming that the WTA plans to speak to players and coaches about noise on the court after receiving increasing amounts of negative feedback from fans.
But, she did say that it is up to the players to complain if it's bothering them, implying that if that was the case, the tour would react accordingly.
"I haven't had one player come to me and complain, not one," Allaster said.
Her view was backed up by Huber, who said "As long as the players don’t stand up and say, Hey, this bugs me, then it’s the player’s fault."
Azarenka, who greeted the question about her noise level with a wry smile, also said that players are just not bothering about what their opponent is doing on the court.
"Whatever helps players to be better, that's their own way. I have to respect that. Somebody has to jump around, somebody have to say bad words or whatever. It's their own way. I just try to focus on myself and that's it."
Changes afoot
The WTA is set to introduce a new level of tournaments, WTA Challengers, to sit in between the ITF $100K and the $220 WTA International events. There will be two in 2012, as pilot events, with plans for 8-10 by 2013. Prize money will be $125K, and they are likely to be in the Asia-Pacific region.
The women’s tour is also bumping up its prize money by eight per cent to $52.4 million for the 2012 season.
What’s next?
The last WTA tournament of the year is the Tournament of Champions in Bali (lucky them), while the men compete in Basle and Valencia this week, before Paris, and then London. It’s the final stretch…
For the ladies who've been in Istanbul this week, it's very much holiday time. Azarenka is off to Minsk, and a Rihanna concert in Zurich, Kvitova is heading home, maybe to a spa, and then to off-season training in the mountains. Happy holidays to them.
Soundbites
“I have had too good of a career to kind of just be mediocre”
Lisa Raymond on Lisa Raymond
“Can I have a real one?”
Victoria Azarenka on being handed a model of a Turkish Airlines plane
Something a little different…
According to Vegas Confidential, there is set to be a bidding war for the film rights to Andre Agassi’s explosive autobiography “Open.” Steven Spielberg and Jerry Bruckheimer are both said to be interested.
Lessons learned in Istanbul
If someone offers you ‘brains’ in a restaurant, they’re not speaking figuratively.
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