Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Announces 'Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions'
Innovative year-end 12 woman round-robin format to feature next generation stars
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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09/15/08 - On the heels of the announcement of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour’s landmark Roadmap 2009 calendar, the Tour announced today an innovative format and other key elements of the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, the season ending finale for the Roadmap calendar’s International tournaments.
The Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions, set to take place in Bali, Indonesia from November 4-8 in 2009, will feature top Tour players and next generation champions competing in an innovative 12 woman round robin singles format (four groups of three players), and offer both $600,000 in prize money and an opportunity to earn a $1 million bonus. The top 10 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour players who have won at least one International tournament during the year and who are not participating in singles at the year-end Sony Ericsson Championships will qualify for the event, along with two wild cards. A player who wins three International tournaments and the season-ending Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions will take home the additional $1 million bonus on top of her prize money.
“The Commonwealth Tournament of Champions promises to be a fantastic year-end finale for the Tour’s International events, and one featuring many of the Tour’s leading players and next generation stars,” said Larry Scott, CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. “Bali is a fantastic location for this championship in a key strategic growth region for the sport, and is a favorite of players for many years. The round robin format of the tournament should be a hit with fans, and the event itself a key element of the Tour’s new Roadmap calendar.”
"We are delighted that one of the most popular locations on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour has been chosen for the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions," said Tournament Director Kevin Livesey. "Bali has long attracted many of the top players, and now we can look forward to welcoming both established names and those who are beginning to make a major impact on the game. The prospect of a $1 million bonus will guarantee excitement throughout the year as players compete in the International Series as part of their Road To Bali campaign."
“With the experience garnered over the past four years, we are proud to play a bigger role in the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions for the next three years, as part of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour,” said Nursing, President Director, Commonwealth Bank. “This has demonstrated the bank's commitment in always improving the quality of the tournament, developing Indonesian tennis in general and also placing Indonesia and Bali as a destination."
All players who qualify by ranking will be required to play the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions. Players who have qualified for the year-end Sony Ericsson Championships singles event will not be eligible to play in Bali. The Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions is set to take place in Bali for an initial period of 2009-2011.
The Tour’s Roadmap reforms are designed to create a more fan friendly and healthier structure to more consistently deliver stars to top events and reduce player withdrawals. The Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions will represent the championships for the International tournaments, bringing a season-long link and race tying together the International events.
The 2009 Tour calendar features 54 tournaments (20 Premier tournaments, 30 International tournaments and the four Grand Slams*) across 31 countries and record prize money of over $86 million. The international breadth of tournaments includes 25 events in Europe, 15 events in the Americas and 14 events in the Asia-Pacific region. Seventeen combined events include Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, Beijing, Sydney, Moscow, Eastbourne, New Haven, Brisbane, s’Hertogenbosch, Estoril, Memphis and Acapulco, along with the four Grand Slams. Eight back-to-back men/women events include Dubai, Tokyo, Rome, Cincinnati, Canada, Auckland, Bastad and Warsaw. 2009 will also see new tournaments in Madrid, Brisbane, Monterrey, Ponte Vedra Beach, Bastad, Warsaw and Osaka. Additionally, in 2011 Rome, Cincinnati and Canada will all be combined men/women events.
* Grand Slams are not Sony Ericsson WTA Tour events
