Victoria Azarenka decided to actively prepare for the WTA Championships in Istanbul and straight from storming to the Beijing title she flew to Linz where in similar fashion she earned another title, her sixth this season. The world No.1 is now on a roll of 13 consecutive straight set match wins, if we disregard the walkover she gave to Angelique Kerber in Tokyo due to dizziness.

Julia Goerges, Azarenka's opponent in the final, was the first player to take more than two games in a set in Linz against Azarenka, who scored a 6-0 6-2 victory over Arantxa Rus in the first round, 6-1 6-1 over Simona Halep in the second round, 6-2 6-2 over Petra Martic in the quarterfinals and 6-2 6-1 over Irina-Camelia Begu in the semis. The fifth-seeded Goerges won three games in the first set, in which Azarenka was strong on her serve and faced no break points, and four games in the second set, all the four of which came in succession when Goerges was 5-0 down. Therefore, final score was 6-3 6-4.

It was Azarenka's first appearance at the Generali Ladies Linz. The title has earned her $37,000 and 280 ranking points. (photo: Ralf Reinecke)

Victoria Azarenka is the only WTA player competing at the season-ending Championships that's active this week ahead of the luxurious event – all the other seven women in the singles field, except Angelique Kerber who is set to play Luxembourg next week, have nothing left on their schedule but the Championships – and at the ongoing Generali Ladies Linz, the No.1 is simply continuing the stellar momentum that earned her the Beijing title last week.

The Belarusian is now in the final of the Austrian tournament, having lost just 11 games en route to the title match. Imagine, she hasn't lost more than two games per set in her victories over Arantxa Rus, Simona Halep, Petra Martic, and today Irina-Camelia Begu, while last week she won a Premier Mandatory tournament losing four games in just two sets!

In the final, Azarenka will face fifth seed Julia Goerges, who beat Kirsten Flipkens 1-6 6-2 6-3 in the semis. Azarenka's prospects are good for her 66th match win this season and her sixth title of the year. She's 3-1 head-to-head against Goerges, and even that one loss came through retirement, while her record on hardcourts this year is stunning, 44-4.

Enjoying the successful week in Linz, Azarenka joined the dance troupe performing on the court and showed some moves, including, of course, the Gangnam Style. Read more »

On October 16th in the final of the Generali Ladies Linz Dominika Cibulkova was playing for her maiden WTA title and lost to Petra Kvitova. Only a week has pasted and the 22-year-old is in another final, at the Premier Kremlin Cup and her opponent will be Estonian Kaia Kanepi.

Cibulkova and Peng Shuai are the only member of the Top 20 without titles, but the little Slovakian is positive about changing her discouraging  0-3 record in career finals:

I know I've lost all three of my previous finals including the one last week, but I feel if I continue playing the way I do now sooner or later I'll win one.

The world No.20 Cibulkova cruised past her semifinal opponent Elena Vesnina 6-0 6-2, a day after ousting top-seeded home favorite Vera Zvonareva 4-6 6-4 6-4. Kanepi upset two Grand Slam champions, Francesca Schiavone and Svetlana Kuznetsova, before coming from a set down to topple Lucie Safarova 6-7(4) 6-4 6-3 in the semifinals.

Cibulkova and Kanepi played each other twice so far, including once this year, and Kanepi won in three sets both times. Also, the 43rd-ranked Kanepi, who used to be ranked 16th earlier this year, has one title to her name – Palermo 2010. (photo: Ralf Reinecke)

Petra Kvitova finally found her best form after the astonishing Wimbledon triumph and except a tough semifinal against Jelena Jankovic, the Czech pretty much cruised through the Generali Ladies Linz to win her fifth title this season. Her opponent in the final, Dominika Cibulkova, fell to 0-3 in career finals and remains one of only two Top 30 players who have still not won a WTA title.

From 4-4 in the first set, the world No.4 Kvitova won eight of the next nine games to win the final against Cibulkova and keep the Slovak's otherwise successful career without titles. Score: 6-4 6-1.

En route to the Linz title and the prize of $37,ooo, the top seeded Kvitova defeated Rebecca Marino 6-2 6-2 in the first round, Patricia Mayr-Achleitner 6-2 6-3 in the second round, eight seed Daniela Hantuchova 6-2 6-2 in the quarterfinals, third seed Jelena Jankovic 4-6 6-4 6-3 in the semis, and finally the seventh-seeded Cibulkova. (source: WTA Tour, photo: Ralf Reinecke)

At the Generali Ladies Linz against Petra Kvitova, Dominika Cibulkova, one of two Top 30 players without a title, will try to win her first first one in the Sunday's final. Her opponent Kvitova is currently enjoying a career-high ranking of No.4 and she's a holder of five titles, four of which came this season, including Wimbledon.

Cibulkova saved match points in her opener against Elena Baltacha, and actually her first three matches at the tournament were three-setters. Her semifinal against Lucie Safarova didn't follow the trend, as Cibulkova cruised to a 6-1 6-4 victory. The Slovak won 16 points in a row to take the first set.

Kvitova's semifinal opponent was Jelena Jankovic, who won the first set as Kvitova struggled to find her game. Kvitova was down 6-4 3-1 and then 6-4 3-4, when she took control with six straight games won for a 3-0 lead in the third set and she never looked back. Score: 4-6 6-4 6-3.

Cibulkova is yet to beat Kvitova. The Czech leads their head-to-head record 3-0. (via WTA Tour, photos: Ralf Reinecke)