By Erik Gudris

Seeing Petra Kvitova involved a three-set match this season is becoming as routine as watching the sun rise and set each day. But with yet another victory that went the distance, the Czech star made WTA history this week.
 
With her 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-3 win over Sara Errani in the China Open third round on Wednesday, Kvitova earned her 23rd three-set victory of the year. That result is not only the most three-setters won by any woman this season, but breaks the record of 22 wins held by Russia's Anastasia Myskina in 2002 and Japan's Ai Sugiyama in 2003.

Kvitova has now won the most three-setters of any woman this century and the most since 2000.

But the three-set streak doesn't end there. Having now gone 23-11 in three set matches in 2013, Kvitova has now played in the most three setters of anyone since 2005. And with Kvitova expected to play a few more before the year's end, she may just break Patty Schnyder's total of 36 three-setters played in 2005.

Kvitova will next face China's Li Na in the Beijing quarterfinals. Thanks to her recent streak of extending matches to their limit, maybe that's why so many are now referring to Kvitova by her new nickname of "P3tra."
 
(Source: WTA)