Photo: JP/Ricky Yudhistira

The WTA’s final tournament of the year is this week in Bali at the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions. The $600,000 tournament is a kind of consolation year ending championships, open to the top players who have won at least one International Series level event in 2009 and who didn’t make Doha. Sabine Lisicki and Kimiko Date Krumm accepted the tournament’s two wildcards, completing the 12 woman draw. Click here for more info.

Marion Bartoli, Sam Stosur, Yanina Wickmayer and Sabine Lisicki are the top seeds and head up the four round robin groups:

Group A: Marion Bartoli, Shahar Peer, Magdalena Rybarikova
Group B: Samantha Stosur, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, Agnes Szavay
Group C: Yanina Wickmayer, Anabel Medina Garrigues, Kimiko Date Krumm
Group D: Sabine Lisicki, Melinda Czink, Aravane Rezai

The tournament put a tropical spin on the requisite “evening gown” competition, hosting a welcome lunch and dressing the players in bright finery by Balinese designer Rico Anantha. I want one! (A dress, not a player – though I’d take Lisicki’s serve and Peer’s backhand.)

Photos via the WTA website – click here for more.

Aravane Rezai and Yanina Wickmayer:

Kimiko Date Krumm and Shahar Peer:

Marion Bartoli and Sabine Lisicki

Magdalena Rybarikova and Anabel Medina Garrigues:

Agnes Szavay and Melinda Czink:

The ladies also took part in some kind of skin care demonstration, which I would find horribly condescending if it didn’t look like so much fun! (Also, I labeled this post “Tennis Babes” so who am I to talk?)

So is this a tournament or the off-season?

Tags: Bali, Bartoli, Krumm, Lisciki, Peer, Szavay, tennis, Tournament of Champions, WTA
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