Radwanska sees off Kvitova to claim WTA Final

Agnieszka Radwanska claimed the women's end of season championships with a gutsy  victory over Petra Kvitova.

Agnieszka Radwanska was appearing in her seventh end of season tour finals. Reuters/Edgar Su

Radwanska wore down Kvitova in three sets on Sunday to win her first WTA Finals title in Singapore. 

The Polish world number six came from a break down in the deciding set against her Czech opponent to win 6-2 4-6 6-3 in two hours and five minutes. 

It was Radwanska's first final at the event in her seventh appearance.

Both women were surprise participanst. World number five Kvitova had knocked out Maria Sharapova in Saturday's semi-final. Until then the Russian had swept through her round robin group undefeated. But she went down in straight sets to the 25-year-old left hander.

Radwanska came from a set down to account for the 22-year-old Spaniard Garbine Muguruza. She too had won her three pool matches.

By contrast Radwanska was abject during the round robin phase. She lost her first match to Sharapova and was also beaten by Flavia Pennetta in straight sets.

She gave herself a chance of redemption by overcoming the top seed Simona Halep 76 61 but then had to hope that Pennetta failed to take a set off Sharapova in their final red group game.

The Italian went down in straight sets - thereby allowing Radwanska a lifeline which she gratefully accepted. She also notched up a slice of finals history.

Radwanska, 26, is the first woman to go on to lift the title at the end of season championships after losing two round robin group games. She said: "It means everything to me, in my first final, I get my first win so it couldn't be any better.

"I was doing the right thing in the important moments of a really close match. I had my chances in the second set but it doesn't really matter how I won."