Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic beat Angelique Kerber of Germany 6-2, 0-6, 6-3, to win the Pan Pacific Open title on Saturday.
The seventh-seeded Kvitova hit a crosscourt forehand to the corner to close out the match in 1 hour, 39 minutes.
After failing to win a game in the second set, Kvitova recovered to take a 4-0 lead in the final set. Kerber then fought off three match points before Kvitova finally capitalized on her fourth attempt.
“I felt a little slower in the second set,” Kvitova said. “I gave away a few easy points and she was waiting for that so I just told myself I had to be more aggressive in the third set and that was the difference.”
Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon champion, claimed her 11th career title and second of the year. Kerber had been trying to win her first of the year and third overall.
Kvitova will move up to No. 7 in the world rankings from her current spot of 11th.
“It’s always a great feeling if you win a title at a tournament,” she said. “It means a lot for me because I know every year there is a great draw here.”
