WTA Tournament Of Champions Moves To Sofia

Written by: Staff on 10th November 2011

WTA Tournament Of Champions Moves To Sofia

Ana Ivanovic from Serbia holds her winner's trophy after beating Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain (not pictured) in the final of the WTA Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, 06 November 2011. EPA/MADE NAGI |

The last ball has been hit in Bali, at least for now, as the Tournament of Champions moves to Sofia, Bulgaria from 2012-2014. That is seen as a massive disappointment by many of the players that have played either the TOC or the regular WTA tour event in Bali over the past 11 years.

The event, despite being a modest Tier 3 or International Series, has attracted many of the best players in the world. Among the biggest names were Lindsay Davenport, who won her first tournament there after the birth of her first child, and Svetlana Kuznetsova, who won the event three times in three visits, including the time she flew straight from winning the US Open.

There was also Ana Ivanovic, who lost in the first round on her first visit but returned to become a two-time champion, and Daniela Hantuchova, who was reluctant to go to Bali after the bombings there but then declared it as her favorite tournament. Jelena Jankovic, Elena Dementieva, Anastasia Myskina and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario are among other top players who also played the tournament.

“I love this event,” said Ivanovic. “Last year when I won it it’s been great memories and now I fell in love with the place again. It’s a really nice place to play and compete and enjoy it as well. People are so friendly and positive and it’s nice to see that. It’s beautiful spas and I never really find time for that but here you just have to. It’s so inviting, to relax and wind down.

“I’m a little bit sad because they did a really good job and I enjoyed my time here. It’s been really a pleasure for me to come and compete here. I hope they can get a tournament again.”

Hantuchova said, “I think everybody’s going to miss it. It’s very sad. It’s unfortunate because I think everybody that has ever been here enjoys coming back. It’s such a wonderful place to play a tournament.

“It makes you so relaxed and I think makes you play so much better because there’s just no distractions and we’re enjoying every minute of it. I think we’re all going to miss it. You don’t get a feeling like this anywhere else.”

“DAILY TENNIS NEWS WIRE”

Topics: Sofia, WTA Tournament of Champions