Vera Zvonareva has joined the list of players who have staked a claim for a place in the season-ending Tournament of Champions, holding off a strong challenge from India’s Sania Mirza to win the PTT Pattaya Open International Series event.
The Road to Bali, launched at the start of the 2009 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour season as a season-long race to the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions this November, brought out some new faces and underwent a few changes in January.
Petra Kvitova is the latest player to put herself in contention for a place in the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Championships, winning the first major title of her career by defeating Iveta Benesova 7-5 6-1 in Hobart.
Third seed Flavia Pennetta and fourth seed Nadia Petrova both reached the second round of the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic on Tuesday, but in contrasting styles.
Francesca Schiavone made a winning start at the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic on Monday when she overcame Indonesia’s Sandy Gumulya 6-2 6-0. The score sounds easy, but it took the fifth seeded Italian one hour 16 minutes to overcome a plucky opponent.
