“It’s amazing. I’m really happy,” said Ivanovic. It was such a good match. I think we both played some great tennis from the first point on and I really enjoyed it so much.”
Victory was especially sweet for the 23-year old Serb after she had struggled with her form earlier in the season. She managed to win back- to-back matches just twice up until August, but then she began to rediscover the form that took her to number one in the world and the French Open title. A semi-final in Cincinnati, from which she had to retire injured, was followed recently by her first title in two years in Linz, and now she has added Bali to her list of successes.
Kleybanova hits the ball extremely hard, but Ivanovic managed to handle the pace and was often the more consistent player in the rallies. Her serve was also a weapon, as it has been in recent weeks, and she closed out the match with her eighth ace.
Both players had an opportunity in the early stages, with Ivanovic holding off a break point at 1-1 and Kleybanova saving two in the next game. But at 3-2 Ivanovic took the lead when Kleybanova double-faulted and then made a backhand error to give Ivanovic the first break of the match. In fact, after winning three straight points in that game she won the next two games at love to claim the set and then held to love to begin the second set. In all, she won 15 consecutive points.
But, after seeming to be in control, Ivanovic dropped her next service game when Kleybanova forced into a forehand error. That setback, though, was short-lived as she levelled at 2-2 with a brilliantly- struck winner down the line. Games then went easily with serve until Kleybanova had a golden opportunity to level the match.
The Russian held two break points to lead 6-5, but Ivanovic fought off the threat, held with an ace, and then always led in the tiebreak. A double-fault from Kleybanova, her fourth, gave Ivanovic a 4-3 lead and that was enough to decide the outcome.
“It was tough and in the second set it came down to a little bit of mental strength. I managed to stay quite calm in these moments and I was very happy to close the match,” said the champion.
Kleybanova has enjoyed the best season of her career, and although she lost she had no concerns about the way she had played.
“I did play good today and there was nothing really going wrong,” she said. “Ana was playing some very good tennis and we had a big fight, especially in the second set. I did everything I could and left every piece of myself on the court.
“She pushed me to play some points to my limits and it was very difficult to keep it up consistently. And she served so well, and even if I had some break points she aced or did a big point.”
In the third/fourth place play-off, Kimiko Date Krumm defeated Daniela Hantuchova 7-5 7-5.
Date Krumm built a 4-0 lead but Hantuchova then won the next five games to lead 5-4. Date Krumm held and then broke for 6-5 when the Slovak put a forehand wide, and then held off a break point to take the set on her fourth set point.
The second set stayed even until Date Krumm broke for 4-3, but she had great difficulty closing out the match. Hantuchova levelled at 4-4, the Japanese 40-year old broke again to lead 5-4, but Hantuchova then broke her at love. 5-5. But Date Krumm broke yet again, and this time she managed to hold serve.
