Ivanovic Wins Second Consecutive Title In Bali
By James Waterson
(November 6, 2011) Ana Ivanovic won her first title of the year in the WTA’s final tournament of the season when she beat Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 6-0 at the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions Sunday.
Ivanovic, the defending champion and a former World No. 1, entered the tournament as a wildcard. In the first round, she ended a two-match losing streak when she beat Roberta Vinci in straight sets, and she then beat long-time rival Nadia Petrova in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Medina Garrigues advanced to the semifinals when Marion Bartoli retired early in the third set, and she outlasted Sabine Lisicki to reach the final.
Despite her success in Bali, Medina Garrigues performs best on a slow clay court, and her weakness on an indoor hard court was exposed by Ivanovic.
Although both women served well in the first set, Ivanovic, who turned 24 on Sunday, converted one of her five break points in the eighth game. After holding to close out the first set, Ivanovic would lose only seven points for the rest of the match.
"Congratulations to Ana. She was playing so well, I couldn't do anything today," Medina Garrigues said after the match. "She has been No.1 in the world and she's a very good player, and I'm really happy with my week, but she was too good on the court today."
Petrova claimed third place in the tournament after Lisicki withdrew because of a back injury. The Russian faced off against Daniela Hantuchova instead, and beat the Slovak 6-2, 5-7, 6-0.