2010 CBTC, List of Players

WTA has announced the players to participate at the 2010 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions to be held in Bali, 4-7 November 2010.

Despite their international tournament wins and high rankings, Justine Henin, Maria Sharapova, and Kaia Kanepi will not be playing in Bali due to unspecified reasons.

The Tournament announced Japanese veteran, Kimiko Date Krumm another Wild Card to replace Ana Ivanovic who qualified by default after her win at Linz. Date Krumm has not won any international tournament, but has shown good progress at the end of the season.


1 Li Na Rank: 11 | Won: Birmingham
2 Aravane Rezai Rank: 18 | Won: Bastad
3 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova Rank: 20 | Won: Monterrey, Istanbul
4 Yanina Wickmayer Rank: 22 | Won: Auckland
5 Ana Ivanovic Rank: 24 | Won: Linz
6 Alisa Kleybanova Rank: 27 | Won: Kuala Lumpur

7 Daniela Hantuchova Rank: 27 - WILD CARD
8 Kimiko Date Krumm Rank: 53 - WILD CARD


This has let other higher ranked players who are qualified for the tournament in dismay. Alona Bondarenko (ranked 36, won Hobart), Agnes Szavay (37, Budapest & Prague), and Roberta Vinci (38, Luxembourg) are not on the list.


Compared to those three players, Hantuchova and Date Krumm have advantages as the Tournament found them having selling factors. Those who do not really follow WTA Tour updates (even the journalists) know Hantuchova better than the other three players. She is beautiful and attractive and has been playing in Bali several times.

Kimiko Date Krumm is the oldest player on tour and has been the most succesful Japanese tennis player in singles. The Tournament is targetting Japanese tourists to flood Bali International Convention Centre in Nusa Dua to cheer on their heroine. Tennis wise, she remains highly competitive. It is not a bad choice, but I myself have a pity on those higher ranked players.

Other Possible Qualified Players for 2010 CBTC

There are several other high ranked players who could possibly qualify for the 2010 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions. Shahar Peer (ISR, 13), Nadia Petrova (RUS, 16), Marion Bartoli (FRA, 17), and Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS, 20) can surpass the players on this week list of Bali possible contenders, but they need to win any of the last three international tournaments left, namely Osaka, Linz, and Luxembourg.

Petrova and Kuznetsova do not play this week and do not enroll for Luxembourg. Bartoli and Peer could not make it in Osaka. Bartoli has just lost in straight sets, 26 57, to Tamarine Tanasugarn at the semifinal in Osaka today. Shahar Peer did not take advantage of her first set win and eventually lost to home favorite and last year CBTC semifinalist, Kimiko Date Krumm, 63 67 57.

It is impossible for Date Krumm to go to Bali again even if she wins Osaka and the premium level tournament in Moscow next week. Her current points of 1090 only put her in the 56th position in the WTA Tour singles ranking. She would not surpass the points and rankings of Alysa Kleybanova (2105 at 26) and Kaia Kanepi (2490 at 22).

In Linz, Bali wild card, Ana Ivanovic (SER, 29) is playing the semifinals and now leading 63 22 against Roberta Vinci of Italy. Patty Schnyder keeps her hope alive by reaching the final after a three sets win over Andrea Petkovic, 62 46 75. At ranking of 47 and 1220 points Schnyder needs to win in Linz and get more points next week to qualify for Bali. She needs to play Moscow instead of Luxembourg in order to win more points.

Ivanovic and Hantuchova

Even though the Tournament has named Ana Ivanovic and Daniela Hantuchova wild cards for the 2010 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, both players are still trying to qualify for the tournament by winning at least one international event.



Ivanovic and Hantuchova are now playing in Linz and have also book their places at Luxembourg next week. The last two international tournaments on WTA calendar, therefore the last chances to win a ticket for Bali.



As Flavia Pennetta will not be playing in Bali, the chance of Kaia Kanepi and Alysa Kleybanova are still open.

WILD CARDS for 2010 CBTC

In the press conference held in Krakatau Room, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Jakarta on Tuesday, October 5, 2010 the Tournament Director, Kevin Livesey, announced Ana Ivanovic and Daniela Hantuchova the wild cards for the 2010 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions.

Kevin also explained the reason of having single elimination format for the year-end tournament. He personally affraid if round robin format would possibly help a player who might lose a match or two earlier in the tournament to cruise through the semifinal by default. The case of Venus Williams in 2009 SonyEricsson Championships is the example he mentioned.

Subject to the results of the remaining three international tournaments, below is a list of players who are qualified for the 2010 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions.

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