Petra Kvitova Defeats No. 1 Kim Clijsters To Claim the 2011 Open GDF Suez Title

Despite being in the stands with her family, Jada Clijsters was not paying attention to the match. The three-year-old maybe didn't even realise Kim was defeated when playing for her second Paris GDF Suez trophy.

A sour neck prevented the Belgian from being at her best while Petra Kvitova is going to be the player to watch this year. The Czech beat Clijsters 6-4, 6-3 to win her first Premier tournament of her career.

Clijsters, who won the event in 2004 when defeating France's Mary Pierce in the final, had not played the event since. On Friday, the 27-year-old officially reclaimed her world No. 1 spot when defeating Jelena Dokic 6-3, 6-0. The Bree native had to work harder and injured herself while beating last year's Wimbledon quarterfinalist Kaïa Kanepi of Estonia 6-1, 7-5 that earned her a spot into the final against the fourth seed Petra Kvitova.

"It's nice to be playing in Paris or London because I know my family and friends can come and watch me play," said Clijsters. "The trip is not as difficult as it is when I'm playing in the United States, or Australia."

The first mother ever to be world No. 1 had to be at the top of her game to beat in-form Kvitova, who is also having an amazing start of the season.

Kvitova, who is one of the few left-handed players, will be a treat to all top 10 players this year.

The 20-year-old, who was a semifinalist at Wimbledon last year, can mix her shots well when turning defense to offense and put a lot of pressure on her opponents.

This player, who has the same firepower as Sharapova, has huge potential.

Tall, lefty, with a big first serve and an amazing forehand, Petra has also lost weight over the past year and is now moving better and is more solid.

The world No. 18 already won the title in Brisbane this year and reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.

An emotional Kvitova also found the strengths to fight difficult moments: "I want to dedicate this trophy to my grandfather who passed away last week," said Kvitova at the trophy ceremony.

Kvitova improved her confidence when she knocked out her compatriot Barbora Zahlavova Strycova in the second round after a three-hour marathon match. The Czech needed to save two match points before winning 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(3).

Meanwhile, the three-time US Open champion did not have a break since the start of the season when she played Sydney, the Australian Open, the Fed Cup and the Paris Indoor.

Therefore she is going to put her rackets down for a couple of weeks.

Expect Clijsters to return for Indian Wells in March.