Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Unveils Plans for Second Championships Tournament

As part of the complete restructure of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour calendar in 2009, plans have been announced for a secondary WTA Championships event which will be hosted in the resort city of Bali.

The tournament, to be named the Commonwealth Bank International Championships, will be staged in Indonesia beginning in 2009 and will complement the Tour’s traditional season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships, which features the world’s Top 8 singles players and Top 4 doubles teams.

The Tour’s 2009 provisional Calendar features 20 premium events, anchored by four mandatory events in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, and Beijing, and 30 international events around the world.

The best seven performers in these international level tournaments (who have not otherwise qualified for the Sony Ericsson Championships), along with one wildcard, will participate in the round-robin format Commonwealth Bank International Championships.

“The Commonwealth Bank International Championships promises to showcase the Tour’s most exciting future stars and best performers in international level Tour events,” said Larry Scott, CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

“The international events within the 2009 circuit structure will provide fans with world class tennis and an opportunity to see future champions. We are excited to be able to shine a spotlight on these stars through the support of Commonwealth Bank in beautiful Bali.”

The tournament, to be held from November 3-9 in 2009 (the week following the Sony Ericsson Championships), will feature $600,000 total prize money and a winner’s check of $200,000. The tournament is initially scheduled to be held in Bali for the three-year period of 2009-2011, replacing the regular season Bali event.

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