The Road To Bali has begun, and two winners have staked their claim to qualify for the prestigious end-of-season Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, set to take place in Bali, Indonesia between 8th and 14th November.

Olympic champion Elena Dementieva defeated fellow Russian Elena Vesnina 6-4 6-1 to lift the title in Auckland, and Victoria Azarenka from Belarus overcame Marion Bartoli of France 6-3 6-1 in Brisbane to earn her first career title.

"The way I was thinking on court was very different from before," said Azarenka, who had lost her previous four finals. "I was playing every point, no matter what happened. I wasn't thinking about the fact that I was playing in a final. I was thinking it was a regular match, regular points. There weren't any nerves. I think that helped me today. I don't really believe I've won yet. Everybody says the third time is the charm, but for me it's the fifth one - I'm just glad I finally got it!"

Dementieva appreciated the great support she received, and she was especially thrilled to have earned her victory without the usual guiding hand of her coach and mother.

"The crowd's support was awesome, not just today but all week," Dementieva said. "It was a pleasure to come here and play this tournament. We all really felt at home here, it was very nice. And for the first time my mom isn't here with me, so I'm especially happy to take this trophy back home for her."

The Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions will feature top Tour players and next generation champions competing in an innovative 12 woman round robin singles format, and offer both $600,000 in prize money and an opportunity to earn a $1 million bonus. The top 10 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour players who have won at least one International tournament during the year and who are not participating in singles at the year-end Sony Ericsson Championships will qualify for the event, along with two wild cards.

The 12-woman event will feature four groups of three players in a round robin format, then a single-elimination semi-finals and final. A player who wins three International tournaments and the season-ending Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions will take home the additional $1 million bonus on top of her prize money.