Istanbul, Turkey – The 2011 WTA Championships got robin wins at the $4.55 million season-ending event.
The former U.S. Open runner-up Wozniacki moved to 1-0 in the four-player Red Group with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 come-from-behind victory over eighth-ranked Agnieszka Radwanska, who headed to Istanbul with two titles in her last three events.
The Danish Wozniacki overcame Poland's Radwanska in 2 hours, 39 minutes on the indoor hardcourts at Sinan Erdem Dome.
Wozniacki, who led the WTA with six titles this season, was last year's WTA Championships runner-up to Belgian star Kim Clijsters.
A third-seeded Kvitova, meanwhile, also moved to 1-0 in the Red Group with an easy 6-2, 6-4 victory over sixth-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva. The first match of the day was over in 1 hour, 25 minutes.
The left-handed Kvitova, making her WTA Championships debut this week, titled in Austria two weeks ago.
This prestigious tournament commenced Tuesday just two days after a 7.2- magnitude earthquake struck eastern Turkey, leaving about 270 people dead. Istanbul, which is situated in northwest Turkey, was not physically effected by the devastating Sunday afternoon quake and is hosting the WTA event, as planned, from Tuesday through Sunday in the country's largest city.
The four-player White Group here features second-seeded Wimbledon runner-up Maria Sharapova, fourth-seeded Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, fifth-seeded French Open champion and Australian Open runner-up Li Na of China and seventh-seeded U.S. Open titlist Samantha Stosur of Australia. Azarenka is fresh off her title in Luxembourg on Sunday.
Sharapova (2004) is the only former WTA Championships titlist in this year's field. The Russian star is currently battling Stosur in Tuesday's nightcap.
Round-robin play will be held here from Tuesday through Friday, while the semifinals will be staged on Saturday and the lucrative final will be held Sunday.
The 2011 WTA Championships winner will collect at least $1.75 million.
Istanbul will host the WTA Championships through 2013. The event was held in Doha, Qatar the last three years.
