PETKOVIC IS THE QUEEN OF THE GARANTI COZA WTA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SOFIA 2014

Early on, it looked like Petkovic had nothing left in the tank - she got just one game on the board as Pennetta cruised, 6-1, in 36 minutes. 

But little by little she built her comeback, breaking in the first game of the second set and riding that break all the way to the set, and after Pennetta went ahead 2-0 in the third, Petkovic reeled off six of the next seven games to seal the victory and the title. 
 The No.4-seeded Petkovic managed to scrape past the No.3-seeded Pennetta, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3. "I love watching Flavia play, but I hate playing her because she's so difficult to play!" Petkovic said. 

"I'm happy I could gather enough energy and play well enough to win it in the end." Petkovic wouldn't have been as happy with any other opponent in the final, though. "I'm happy I met Flavia in the final because we've both been coming back from injury this year," Petkovic said. "I was so happy when she won Indian Wells because I know what she went through, and so it's even nicer to play her for this title today. I hope the next season is even better for her.
" Meanwhile, this season isn't over for Petkovic - she has the Fed Cup final next weekend. "I wish I could end this great season at this great tournament," she said. 

FLAVIA PENNETTA VS PETKOVIC INTO FINAL OF THE

Flavia Penetta lived up to the expectations in Sofia. The Italian star received an wild card to play the Garanti Koza WTA Tournament of Champions. 

Watched by Corrado Barazzutti, the Fed Cup captain, Penetta missed a match point but won 6:4, 6:2 against Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain) to reach the final. Earlier on Saturday, Andrea Petkovic secured her place in the title match with 6:1, 6:4 versus Garbine Muguruza (Spain). 
Penetta and Petkovic played in Stuttgart this year and the Italian prevailed 7:5, 3:6, 6:1.

ALIZE CORNET IN PRESS CONFERENCE INTO GARANTI COZA WTA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SOFIA 2014

Q: Do you feel now more relaxed after your first win in the tournament so probably you could prepare yourself more easily for the next match tomorrow? 
It is tough to prepare myself easily for tomorrow because it will be the toughest match of the group as Muguruza is playing amazing since the beginning of the week. I played quite solid today and I am happy with my performance. Of course it is good to still be in the race and to have chances to reach the semifinals.

Q: Muguruza said that she feels very comfortable on this surface because it is not so quick and she could deliver good shots. What about you? 
I think the surface is fast (smiling). I can see that she feels confident in this tournament. My match today was better than two days ago. I hope tomorrow will be even better. It will be a challenge to play against Garbine here but I have all my chances. I will try my best. It is all about fighting in this tournament. 

 Q: It seemed to be very easy match for you especially in the first set. But was it just like that on the court or you? 
It seemed easy in the first set but in tennis match it is never easy. Makarova is 11 in the world and she is a very good player. Even if she wasn`t at her best today she is very dangerous all the time so I had to be very solid till the end. I think one of the key moments was in the first set when I could be 3:1 down but finally I win these two games and I had the lead by 3:1.
This is a great win for me because she is almost a top 10 player.

ORDER OF PLAY, 31 OCTOBER 2014, GARANTI COZA WTA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SOFIA 2014

Andrea Petkovic is the first player to qualify for the Garanti Koza WTA Tournament Of Champions semifinals 2014

DOMINIKA CIBULKOVA SEXY

SOFIA, Bulgaria, October 2014 

Andrea Petkovic beat Dominika Cibulkova in a tight two-setter on Thursday to become the first player to qualify for the Garanti Koza WTA Tournament Of Champions semifinals. 

 The No.4-seeded Petkovic trailed 3-1 in both sets but clawed her way back each time, and eventually made it past the No.2-seeded Cibulkova after an hour and 43 minutes of fierce hitting, 7-5, 6-3. 
 "I thought I was playing really, really well today, and I thought Domi was playing really well too, especially in the first set," Petkovic said. "I'm very happy with my performance out there today." With the win Petkovic is guaranteed to be one of the two players moving into the semifinals from Group Sredets. 
The last remaining round robin match from the group, which will take place on Friday and sees Carla Suárez Navarro take on Tsvetana Pironkova, will determine the other player who advances. If Suárez Navarro wins in straight sets, she's in - anything else happens and Cibulkova's in. Earlier, Garbiñe Muguruza and Alizé Cornet won round robin matches in Group Serdika, beginning with No.7-seeded Muguruza coming out on the good side of a bizarre 0-6, 6-1, 6-1 win over No.3-seeded Flavia Pennetta, rallying from a first set blowout to return the favor across the next two sets. 
 "I went to the court really nervous - in a round robin every match is so important," Muguruza said. "I was doing the wrong things against her in the first set, but I'm glad I could turn it around in the end." The No.6-seeded Cornet had a simpler win in the next match over No.1-seeded Ekaterina Makarova, 6-1, 6-4, but afterwards Makarova was forced to pull out of the tournament because of a back injury. "Unfortunately I have to withdraw with a back injury that happened in Singapore," Makarova said. "I tried my best these first few matches but the third one would have been really tough since the injury has been getting worse. This is a really great tournament, though, and I am really happy I was able to qualify - I tried my best, but it's not possible for me to play at my highest level right now."

Dominika Cibulkova won her second match at the Garanti Koza WTA Tournament of Champions in Sofia 2014.

Dominika Cibulkova won her second match at the Garanti Koza WTA Tournament of Champions in Sofia. 

 The 2014 Australian Open finalist had a big lead in the first set against Carla Suarez Navarro (Esp), lost it but somehow managed to finish the encounter with 7:5, 6:4.

Ekaterina Makarova in Press Conference; GARANTI COZA WTA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SOFIA 2014,

Q: What has happened with you this match? Were you too tired from your flight from Singapore or there is another reason for your not so good performance tonight? 
A: Today was tough for me. I didn`t show my best tennis. She played really good and didn`t give me any chances. She was too aggressive. We played in Beijing. It was like 3 hours and was a good fight. Now it is the end of the season and was very tough for me to show my best tennis. 

 Q: Probably the surface is too slow for your style of play? 
 A: I can say that I don`t really like this service. It is tough for me. In Moscow was the same in Singapore also. 

 Q: Are you happy with your season? 
A: For me the 2014 was very good. Maybe the end of the season is not so good but in general I am happy with my results.

ORDER OF PLAY, 30 OCTOBER 2014, GARANTI COZA WTA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SOFIA

ORDER OF PLAY, 29 OCTOBER 2014; GARANTI COZA WTA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SOFIA .

25 boys and girls from tennis club Russe had a 5-hour travel to Sofia 2014

25 boys and girls from tennis club Russe had a 5-hour travel to Sofia. 

They came to watch matches from the Garanti Koza WTA tournament of champions. What a surprise for the youngsters! 
A chance to play some minutes with Alize Cornet and to get autograph and picture from the French star. After that, they watched the practice session of Carla Suarez Navarro

Dominika Cibulkova in Press Conference. GARANTI COZA WTA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SOFIA 2014

If during the tiebreak in the second set you`ve lost some very important points could it be a turn in the match? 
With this “could” and “if” I could win a Grand Slam (smiling). This is tennis. I can say that I played a very good game and I was feeling really good on the court. In the moments that I was losing I just didn`t using the right tactic. Always when I started to play smart I started to win games. 

Why you had so many problems with your serve? 
My serve always is the part that in the matches I had some problems but I think that actually I served really good. Maybe I just wanted to much from my first serve. And when my coach came on the court he told me just to play more first serve as a second on. After I started to do that I was more successful. Usually the players said that every game is different. 

How do you feel when you have to play against somebody who already you have beaten six times and lost only ones? 
I don`t look pretty much on statistics. Every player is different and every has very own style. And we know each other very well so I always got my focus on the match not at the statistics. 

When your coach came on the court in the first set has he given you any instructions to attack more Pironkova on her forehand side? 
Of course I can`t lie. Everybody knows that Tzveti has unbelievable shot at backhand and her forehand is the shot that you have to attack and that this is her weak shot. My game plan was exactly this – to be aggressive on her forehand as much as I can.

GARANTI COZA PARTY WTA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SOFIA 2014. THE BEST PICS

FLAVIA PENNETTA IN GARANTI COZA PARTY WTA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SOFIA 2014

TSVETANA PIRONKOVA IN GARANTI COZA PARTY WTA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SOFIA 2014

ALIZE CORNET IN GARANTI COZA PARTY WTA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SOFIA 2014

TSVETANA PIRONKOVA IN GARANTI COZA PARTY WTA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SOFIA 2014

ELINA SVITOLINA IN GARANTI COZA PARTY WTA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SOFIA 2014

kids clinic with Karolina Pliskova and Elina Svitolina. Sofia 2014

What is the feeling to play against one of the best in the world? 

Ask the boys and the girls from Bulgarian clubs who has the chance to be on the court for the kids clinic with Karolina Pliskova and Elina Svitolina. It is one of the tradition at the Garanti Koza WTA Tournament of champions. 
 During the 30 minutes the youngsters played doubles versus the stars. The clinic was followed by an autograph session. By the court at Arena Armeec was the legendary Bulgarian multiple Olympic medalist /gymnastics/ Yordan Yovtchev, deputy minister of youth and sports.

Players’ party before the Garanti Coza WTA Tournament of Champions in Sofia 2014.

A wonderful black dress form Flavia Pennetta and fantastic Tsvetana Pironkova. 

Tennis stars at their best outside the court at Esterhazi bar in the Bulgarian capital. 
more at Arena Armeec hall from Tuesday.

The draw ceremony for the Garanti Koza WTA Tournament of Champions 2014 in Grand Hotel Sofia

The draw ceremony for the Garanti Koza WTA Tournament of Champions was held today in Grand Hotel Sofia. 

The official guests of the event were the Mayor of Sofia Yordanka Fandukova, the Minister of youth and sport Evgenya Radanova, the President of Bulgarian tennis federation Stefan Tzvetkov and Serhan Baykal from Garanti Koza. 
 Bulgarian tennis star Tsvetana Pironkova will be in group "Sredets" and will play with Dominica Cibulkova, Andrea Petkovic and Carla Suarez Navaro. The first match will be Pironkova vs Cibulkova on Tuesday at 6 pm. The second will be Petkovic vs Suarez Navarro. 
 In the other group named "Serdika" are the number 1 seeded Ekaterina Makarova, Flavia Pennetta, Alize Cornet and Garbine Muguruza. The third match on Tuesday will be Peneta vs Cornet. The will be the last edition of Tournament of Champions in Europe. From 2015 this event will be held in China. 

 "It will be very interesting tournament. Everybody deserves to be in Sofia so there will be no easy matches. I feel that i am In good form and can't wait to go out on the court", said Tzvetana Pironkova. The Mayor of Sofia and the Minister of youth and sport wished to all participants "good luck" and expressed their confidence that the fans in "Arena Armeec" will see many exciting matches.

GARANTI COZA WTA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SOFIA 2014, ORDER OF PLAY, 28 OCTOBER.

GARANTI COZA WTA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SOFIA 2014, Main Draw Singles.

NEWS GARANTI COZA WTA TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SOFIA 2014

SOFIA, Bulgaria - 
The sixth annual Garanti Koza WTA Tournament Of Champions is set to take place from October 28 to November 2 in beautiful Sofia, Bulgaria, bringing together eight of the very best players in the world in a round robin-based competition with a total prize purse of $750,000. 

 But how are the eight players chosen? Six of the spots are for the six highest-ranked players who have won at least one International title during the year (and who haven't qualified for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global). 
And then the other two spots will go to wildcards. Below is the Race To Sofia as of now - a list of all of the players who have won at least one International title this year, placed in order of their Road To Singapore leaderboard standing (because who gets chosen will be based on the amount of points they have accumulated this year). P

layer name, Road To Singapore leaderboard standing, International title(s) won. 

 Li Na (No.6, Shenzhen) 
Eugenie Bouchard (No.7, Nürnberg) 
Ana Ivanovic (No.8, Auckland and Monterrey) 
Caroline Wozniacki (No.9, Istanbul) 
Ekaterina Makarova (No.11, Pattaya City)
Dominika Cibulkova (No.12, Acapulco) 
Andrea Petkovic (No.16, Bad Gastein) 
Carla Suárez Navarro (No.17, Oeiras) 
Garbiñe Muguruza (No.21, Hobart) 
Alizé Cornet (No.22, Katowice) 
Sabine Lisicki (No.23, Hong Kong) 
Svetlana Kuznetsova (No.30, Washington DC) 
Elina Svitolina (No.33, Baku) 
Klara Koukalova (No.34, Florianopolis) 
Kurumi Nara (No.36, Rio de Janeiro) 
Caroline Garcia (No.38, Bogotá) 
CoCo Vandeweghe (No.40, 's-Hertogenbosch) 
Mona Barthel (No.46, Bastad) 
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (No.54, Québec City) 
Karin Knapp (No.57, Tashkent) 
Monica Puig (No.62, Strasbourg) 
Donna Vekic (No.79, Kuala Lumpur) 
María-Teresa Torró-Flor (No.86, Marrakech)