Flavia Pennetta and Sybille Bammer have both claimed their first International Series tournament victories of the season, putting them in contention for a place at the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions.
Pennetta, who reached the Bali quarter-finals in her last two visits to the Paradise Isle, overcame fellow Italian Sara Errani 6-1 6-2 to lift the Internazionalo Femminili di Tennis Di Palermo title, while Austrian left-hander Bammer had to play two matches in a day as she triumphed 7-6 6-2 over top seed Francesca Schiavone at the ECM Prague Open.For Pennetta, it was her first tournament victory on home soil, and her seventh career title, and she went through the entire week without the loss of a set. Her victory in the final was sweet revenge for her loss to Errani in last year’s semi-finals, and she also had to overcome two other Italians in the Sicilian city, beating Roberta Vinci in the second round and Tathiana Garbin in the semis.
"I'm really happy about the final today," said Pennetta. "I lost to Sara last year in a very tough match, so when I was going on the court today I was very focused and knew what I had to do to beat someone like her - to keep my mistakes down. It is the first time I've won a title here in Italy, and it's even more special with my family and friends here watching and supporting me."
Because rain washed out play on Saturday, Bammer had to undertake double duty on Sunday before lifting her first title in two and a half years. Her previous title had come in Pattaya early in 2007, and she had struggled coming into Prague, only once winning back-to-back matches since the US Open last September. That once, though, was a big occasion, as she reached the quarter-finals of one of the biggest tournaments of the season, at Indian Wells.
In winning Prague, Bammer became one of just two mothers in the last two decades to win a singles title on the Tour. The other was Lindsay Davenport, who won Bali in 2007 and then followed up with two further wins the following season.
First, Bammer had to overcome third seed Iveta Benesova 6-0 7-5 in their rain-delayed semi-final, while Schiavone struggled to get past Swiss qualifier Timea Bacsinszky 7-5 in the third. That two and a half hour effort may have cost the Italian, as Bammer went into the final a little more rested.
Now, Pennetta and Bammer will be hoping to compete in the season-ending Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, to be held at the Bali Convention Centre, The Westin, Nusa Dua. The tournament takes place from 4th to 8th November, and will feature top Tour players and next generation champions competing in an innovative 12 woman round robin singles format, offering $600,000 in prize money. In addition, an incredible $1 million bonus will be paid to any player that can win three of the 30 International Series events, and the Tournament of Champions.
The top 10 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour players who have won at least one International Series 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.
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