Kvitova named WTA Player of the Year

Petra Kvitova won the WTA Player of the Year award today, as well as the Most Improved Player of the Year award and the Karen Krantzcke Sports(wo)manship award. In the category of special awards selected by fans, Kvitova won in the  Favorite Breakthrough Player category.

Kvitova, who was number 34 in the world at the beginning of the 2011 season, is now number 2. She won six titles, including Wimbledon, Madrid (a premier event) and the WTA Championships. Kvitova also led the Czech Republic's Fed Cup team to the 2011 championship, and she won all six of her Fed Cup rubbers this year. The Czech star also holds a 21-0 record for indoor matches in 2011.

Doubles Team of the Year honors go to Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik, who, until recently, held the number 1 spot. Peschke and Srebotnik won six titles this year, including Wimbledon.

The Newcomer of the Year award went to Irina-Camelia Begu. Begu rose from a ranking of 214 to 38. Sabine Lisicki was named Comeback Player of the Year. Lisicki won two titles, and reached the semifinals of Wimbledon.

Here is a complete list of the award, the first five of which were voted on by several members of the sports media:

Player of the Year--Petra Kvitova
Doubles Team of the Year--Kveta Peschke & Katarina Srebotnik
Comeback Player of the Year--Sabine Lisicki
Most Improved Player of the Year--Petra Kvitova
Newcomer of the Year--Irina-Camelia Begu

Voted on by players:

Player Service--Francesca Schiavone
Karen Krantzcke Sports(wo)manship--Petra Kvitova
Favorite Premier Tournament--Porsche Tennis Grand Prix (Stuttgart)
Favorite International Tournament--Abierto Mexicano TELCEL (Acapulco)

Voted on by fans:

Fan Favorite Singles Player--Agnieszka Radwanska
Fan Favorite Doubles Team--Victoria Azarenka & Maria Kirilenko
Fan Favorite Breakthrough Player--Petra Kvitova