( CNN ) -- Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova out-fought Victoria Azarenka in three tough sets to win the season-ending WTA Tour Championships in Istanbul . The third seed completed a remarkable year with a 7-5 4-6 6-3 success over nearly two-and-a-half hours , becoming only the third woman to win the tournament on her first visit . The 21-year-old Czech has been totally dominant this week , winning all three of her group games before recovering from a set down to beat U.S. Open champion Sam Stosur in the semifinals . And this success means she now moves up to second place behind Caroline Wozniaki in the world rankings , after starting 2011 down in 30th position . The never ending women 's world tennis tour . Kvitova told the official WTA Tour website : `` It was unbelievable tennis . We were both really fighting . `` Every game and every set was very close . Maybe I played better on the important points in the match but we both played some of our best here in Istanbul -- it was a final , so why not ! '' And asked how this victory compared to her Wimbledon success , Kvitova told reporters : `` Winning a grand slam was a very big step . I do n't know how it will be going home this time , but I think it will be similar . `` I will be world number two now and next season will be different . I may be the favorite all the time , and we will have to see how I cope with that . '' Third seed Azarenka of Belarus was gracious in defeat , adding : `` It 's hard to lose , but I 'm glad I lost to such a champion who deserved to win this week . `` Petra was amazing today . She really did a great job because I gave it my all . The crowd kept me fighting all the way through -- they have been amazing all week . The match turned in the opening game of the final set when Azarenka squandered two break points on the Kvitova serve . She then took advantage of Azarenka 's disappointment by making the crucial break of serve in the next game , taking the first chance she had to achieve it . It was Kvitova 's sixth WTA Tour title of the season and in securing victory she became the first Czech to lift the coveted trophy since Jana Novotna in 1997 . Meanwhile , Jo-Wilfried Tsonga has moved up to seventh place in the race to reach the climax to the men 's tennis season with a hard-fought victory over Juan Martin Del Potro in the final of the Austrian Open in Vienna . The top-seeded Frenchman beat the Argentine second seed 6-7 6-3 6-4 to put himself in line for a place in the ATP Tour finals in London next month . Del Potro is up to 11th place in the points chase and also still has a chance of reaching London , with more points to be had at next week 's Valencia Open .
Petra Kvitova defeats Victoria Azarenka in the final of the WTA Tour Championships . The Czech wins 7-5 4-6 6-3 to add the title to her Wimbledon crown earlier this season . TL;DR