Shenzen, Wuhan: World number three Petra Kvitova overcame Eugenie Bouchard in straight sets Saturday to win the inaugural $2.4 million WTA Wuhan Open, her third title of the year.

The Wimbledon champion was at her ruthless best to defeat the Canadian 6-3, 6-4, a result which confirmed her place in next month’s WTA Finals, the season ending finale of the world’s top eight women players.

The final of the premier-ranking tournament was a rematch between the two players who contested the Wimbledon final, and Kvitova reproduced in Wuhan the determination she displayed in London, where she won 6-3, 6-0.

The Czech player broke the world number nine in the second game and maintained her 3-0 lead to clinch the first set.

Kvitova then took an early lead in the second set, breaking serve in the first game before Bouchard appeared to hurt her middle finger on her left hand which was bandaged later in the game.

The third seed then advanced to 5-2 before Bouchard attempted a comeback.

The 20-year-old sixth seed had three break points against Kvitova in the eighth game, and while her opponent clawed her way back into contention with some powerful serving, Bouchard took the game.

The new poster girl for the WTA then took the next game, but Kvitova’s strength at the serve wrapped up the set 6-4.

The victory was Kvitova’s third over Bouchard in the three games they have previously played.

Kvitova crushed her opponent in 55 minutes at Wimbledon, the shortest final ever at the tournament. Bouchard was also defeated when the pair met in Toronto last year.

Victory was sweet for Kvitova, who has enjoyed a return to consistency at Wuhan after a poor run in the North American swing.

She won her second tournament of the year at New Haven, but crashed out of the US Open in the third round to 145th-ranked Serbian qualifier Aleksandra Krunic.

Kvitova then lost to Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, her quarter final opponent in Wuhan, in her opening match in Cincinnati.

The victory at the Wuhan Optics Valley Tennis Center also means the left-hander will retain her position as world number three. If she had finished runner up, Russian Maria Sharapova would have lept from fourth to third when the rankings are next updated by the WTA.

She also confirms her place at the WTA Finals in Singapore. Those who have already made it to the season finale include world number one Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova (4) and Simona Halep (2).

Andy Murray meanwhile reached the last four of the ATP Shenzhen Open Friday, as he chases points to make November’s World Tour Finals in London.

The British second seed in Shenzhen defeated Slovak Lukas Lacko 6-3, 7-5 in his quarter-final match, and is in a good position in the tournament after Richard Gasquet and David Ferrer both crashed out.

Third seed Gasquet of France was dumped out in the quarter-finals by Juan Monaco of Argentina, who will face Murray in the last four.

Spanish top seed Ferrer had lost to Viktor Troicki in the previous round, and the Serb crashed out in his quarter-final match Friday, losing 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 to Santiago Giraldo.

The sixth-seeded Columbian will face Tommy Robredo in the semi-finals after he beat Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.

Murray is ranked 11th in the world and needs to pick up points to make the season finale in London in which the top eight players compete.

He is scheduled to play the China Open in Beijing and the Shanghai Masters following Shenzhen.