WICKMAYER AND MEDINA GARRIGUES FIRST TO QUALIFY FOR COMMONWEALTH BANK TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS – BALI 2009
Championships for Tour’s International Tournaments to make debut and offer $600,000 in prize
money and $1 million bonus opportunity
ST. PETERSBURG, FL, USA – Yanina Wickmayer and Anabel Medina Garrigues are the first two players to qualify for the inaugural Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, a season-ending Championships for the Tour’s top International tournament winners. Set to make its debut in Bali, Indonesia from November 4-8, 2009, 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 (four groups of three players), and offer both $600,000 in prize money and an opportunity to earn a $1 million bonus.
Belgian teenager Wickmayer has had a breakthrough season on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, highlighted by winning her first Tour title at the Estoril Open (Estoril) – an International event on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour calendar. She followed that effort with her best Grand Slam performance to date by reaching the semifinals of the US Open (losing to Caroline Wozniacki). On the heels of her US Open results, Wickmayer made her debut in the Top 25 when she reached a career-high World No. 22 the week of September 14, 2009. Currently ranked World No.24 (week of October 12, 2009), she is the second youngest player ranked inside the Top 30 (second to Wozniacki). She was also a finalist in both singles and doubles (with Michaella Krajicek) at the Ordina Open (‘s-Hertogenbosch).
“I am thrilled about having an opportunity to go to Bali for the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions,” said Wickmayer. “I’ve had a really good year, winning my first Tour tournament and having a dream run at the US Open. Going to Bali is a perfect ending to my season.”
Medina Garrigues has had one of the best seasons of her 13-year professional career which included winning the title at the Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem (Fes), an International event that established her eligibility for the Tournament of Champions. Following her win in Fes, the 27-year-old Spaniard reached a career-best ranking of World No.16. Additionally, Medina Garrigues was a finalist at the Hansol Korea Open (Seoul), a semifinalist at the Andalucia Tennis Experience (Marbella) and reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, her best Grand Slam showing to date. She also won her second career Grand Slam doubles title (and 13th Sony Ericsson WTA Tour doubles title overall) at Roland Garros where she and partner Virginia Ruano Pascual successfully defended their 2008 title.
“I am really excited about qualifying for the tournament in Bali because I had a very good season and I am glad that all the
hard work is paying off,” said Medina Garrigues.
“The Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions promises to be a fantastic year-end finale for the winners of the Tour’s International events,” said Stacey Allaster, Chairman and CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. “Bali is a fantastic location and is a favorite of the players and the fans. I congratulate Yanina and Anabel on being the first players to qualify for the event and wish them luck in what will be a terrific finale to their 2009 season.”
“We are very excited to welcome players to beautiful Bali for the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions which promises to be a great event for numerous established stars of the Tour, as well as the next generation of players,” said Kevin Livesey, Tournament Director, Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions. “We would like to congratulate Yanina and Anabel on qualifying for the Championships and look forward to them challenging the rest of this season’s International events winners for the coveted title.”
“We at Commonwealth Bank are very happy to support women’s tennis as the main sponsor of this tournament,” said Mr. Nursing, President Director, Commonwealth Bank of Indonesia. “This year, as the tournament gained its stature and has become a major Championships, we have also upgraded our commitment to support it. We hope that the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions will serve as the inspiration to young people in Indonesia and Asia to pick up a racket and get involved in the sport of tennis.”
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 – Doha 2009 will qualify for the event, along with two wild cards. 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. The Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions will represent the championships for the International tournaments, bringing a season-long link and race tying together the International events. All players who qualify by ranking will be required to play the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions. Players who have qualified for the year-end Sony Ericsson Championships singles event will not be eligible to play in Bali.
This year, 24 different players have captured an International singles title. There are three remaining International events left on the 2009 schedule - Generali Ladies Linz, HP Open (Osaka) and BGL Luxembourg Open (Luxembourg) and the competition field is wide open.
| 2009 International Event Singles Winners (eligible to qualify for the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions) |
RANK
(as of 10/12/09) | | PLAYER | NAT | PTS* | NTERNATIONAL TITLE(S) WON |
| 2 | (D) | Dinara Safina | RUS | 7731 | Portoroz |
| 6 | (D) | Caroline Wozniacki | DEN | 5485 | Pnte Vedra Beach |
| 5 | (D) | Elena Dementieva | RUS | 5415 | Auckland |
| 8 | (D) | Victoria Azarenka | BLR | 4451 | Brisbane, Memphis |
| 3 | (D) | Venus Williams | USA | 4397 | Acapulo |
| 9 | % | Jelena Jankovic | SRB | 3555 | Marbella |
| 7 | % | Vera Zvonareva | RUS | 3550 | Pattaya City |
| 11 | % | Flavia Pennetta | ITA | 3130 | Palemo |
| 12 | % | Marion Bartoli | FRA | 3105 | Monterey |
| 24 | (B) | Yanina Wickmayer | BEL | 1982 | Estoril |
| 21 | (B) | Anabe; Medina Garrigues | ESP | 1870 | Fes |
| 33 | | Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez | ESP | 1650 | Bogota, Bastad |
| 38 | | Shahar Peer | ISR | 1600 | Guangzhou, Taskent |
| 40 | | Melinda Czink | HUN | 1507 | Quebec City |
| 43 | | Aravane rezai | FRA | 1415 | Strasbourg |
| 45 | | Magdalena Rybarikova | SVK | 1395 | Birmingham |
| 46 | | Agne Szavay | HUN | 1392 | Budapest |
| 51 | | Vera Dushevina | RUS | 1275 | Istanbul |
| 54 | | Andrea Petkovic | GER | 1209 | Bad Gastein |
| 52 | | Sybille Bammer | AUT | 1190 | Prague |
| 58 | | Roberta Vinci | ITA | 1036 | Barcelona |
| 55 | | Petra Kvitova | CZE | 927 | Hobart |
| 96 | | Kimiko Date Krumm | JPN | 651 | Seoul |
| 113 | | Tamarine Tanasungam | THA | 565 | `s-Hertogenbosch |
(D) Qualified for Sony Ericsson Championships – Doha 2009
(B) Qualified for Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions
% Still eligible to qualify for the Sony Ericsson Championships – Doha 2009
^Denotes current rank on Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Rankings
*Denotes projected ranking points
**Sorted by Projected Ranking Points forWeek of October 26, 2009
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