Petra Kvitova is back in the winners circle as the Czech outclassed Elena Rybakina 7-6 (14), 6-2 in one hour, 42 minutes to take home the trophy at the 2023 Miami Open.
At 33 years old, Kvitova is the second oldest champion in Miami Open history only behind Serena Williams, who was a few months older when she won in 2015.
The victory also sees the lefty return to the Top 10 for the first time since September of 2021 as she also stopped Rybakina's 13-match winning streak.
She served for the first set at 5-4 only to see the 12th-seeded Kazakh break back to force a tiebreaker that last over 23 minutes, saving five set points en route to capturing it 16-14.
Kvitova quickly jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second and closed out the match and championship shortly thereafter to claim a ninth WTA 1000 title.
How Kvitova stopped red-hot Rybakina
The first eight games went to the server with neither woman facing so much as a deuce point, let alone a break point before Kvitova took her chance to serve for the set at 5-4.
Rybakina responded by generating her first break opportunity which she duly converted by powering a deep return that the Czech had no answer for to break back.
A first-set tiebreaker would be needed to decide the outcome and both players boasted impressive records in 'breakers in 2023 with Rybakina undefeated at 7-0 and Kvitova sporting a 6-2 mark.
The Kazakh fired down five aces and held five set points, but Kvitova, with help from her red-hot opponent gifting errors on four of those opportunities, saved them all and at 15-14, a Rybakina forehand into the net gave the 12th seed the opening set.
Kvitova raced out to a quick lead in the second set, winning the first three games, breaking with a scintillating backhand winner in the second of those three games and had a break point to make it 4-0, but Rybakina did well to save it.
Only facing two break points all day, the Czech continued her strong serving with an ace, her fifth of the match, on game point to move within a game of the championship at 5-2.
A break in the final game that saw Rybakina fly a forehand long on championship point would seal a most satisfying tournament that sees Kvitova return to the sport's elite.