2010 Commonwealth Bank Championship of winners, top four players in Bali
The Commonwealth Bank championship of winners starts at the Bali International Convention Centre this week and all the players have already arrived there in order to get familiar with the conditions.
A handful have opted to skip the competition including Maria Sharapova of Russia and injured Kaia Kanepi. The field will be headed by the first reserve from Doha, World number eleven Na Li followed by defending champion and World number eighteen, Aravane
Rezai. Both of these top seeds will definitely be the ones to watch once the action starts in Bali.
Bettor.com takes a look at the top eight players looking to make a final splash in Bali.
1. Na Li
The 28 year old Na Li has had one of her finest years on the tour. She very closely made it for the elite eight women field in Doha as a result of her semi final appearances at the Australian Open, Copenhagen and Warsaw and quarter final finishes in Wimbledon
and Madrid.
After a stunning run on English grass, Li did not play well on the hard courts of North America. However, back in her home town, the professional tennis player from China successfully made her way into the semi final round on the sixth occasion in her sixth
appearance at the China Open in Beijing. She is currently ranked number eleven in the South African Airways WTA list.
Considering her stellar season, the Chinese ace has bright chances of triumphing in the competition of winners without any measure of speculation.
2. Aravane Rezai
World number 18, Aravane, who achieved her career high ranking of number 26 last year has also had a tremendous 2010.
The French Iranian tennis sensation was the darling of the spectators at the French Open even prior to the start of the tournament. The 23-year old came into Paris, newly in the top twenty due to her win in Madrid, where she got the better of Jelena Jankovic,
Venus Williams and Justine Henin.
Aravane contested in a stunning round three clash against Nadia Petrova in Paris that lasted for more than a single day, but Aravane lost in the end. Despite losing, Rezai played some of the best tennis with exciting style and confidence on the court.
She has not made many waves since her Bastad victory earlier this season in July. However, the right hander will definitely try her level best to defend her title in Bali.
3. Ana Ivanovic
Considering her recent form, the 24-year old Ana is the hot favourite to take the Bali title without any question. She recently ended her crown drought by capturing the Linz trophy.
The Serbian tennis sensation has so far made her way into a total of two semi final rounds at the Premier events in Rome and Cincinnati in 2010 along with her quarter final show down at the China Open in Beijing where she also bundled out the seventh and
eleventh seed on her way to the final eight.
Ana will have to triumph in her first clash versus the third seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova if she wants to celebrate her 23rd birthday by playing the semi final round in Bali. The former World number one is surely regaining her lost form and rhythm and could
well be a dark horse champion on the tour.
4. Alisa Kleybanova
World number twenty-seven Alisa has so far won a total of two crowns this season in Kuala Lumpur and Seoul. However, she captured the Seoul title without facing any top thirty contender and has since lost to both Ivanovic and Li.
Alisa will play her opening round match against Rezai and will definitely hope to give her a tough time.
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