With a surprisingly straightforward 6-2 6-1 victory over Caroline Wozniacki, Nadia Petrova became the third titlist of the Tournament of Champions – after Aravane Rezai (2009) and Ana Ivanovic (2010, 2011) – which has relocated from Bali to Sofia this year.

It's a nice finish to the season for Petrova, with Tokyo title, WTA Championships doubles and now Sofia singles, her 13th singles career title.

In the round-robin phase of the Tournament of Champions, Petrova beat Maria Kirilenko, Zheng Jie and Tsvetana Pironkova for a perfect 3-0 score in the Sredets Group, then Roberta Vinci in the dramatic semifinal 6-7(8) 6-1 6-4, and finally Wozniacki, for the first time in their last five clashes.

Even though she's come short of the Sofia title, the world No.11 Wozniacki is leaving Bulgaria with a season-ending Top 10 ranking, thanks to her semifinal victory over Tsvetana Pironkova. Let me remind you, Wozniacki started 2012 ranked No.1!

Petrova, who is now coached by Ricardo Sanchez, Wozniacki's coach of earlier this year, will finish the season ranked 12th, one spot higher than her current standing. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Top two seeds will meet in the final of the Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions Sofia – No.1 Caroline Wozniacki and No.2 Nadia Petrova.

The first to advance was Wozniacki, with a 6-4 6-1 victory over home-supported Tsvetana Pironkova. From 4-4 in the first set, Wozniacki won seven straight games and closed the match two games later. By virtue of this win, on Monday, November 5th, Wozniacki will start her 174th week in the Top 10, which is the sixth most of all active WTA players. The Dane used to be No.1 for 67 weeks and of all active players only Serena Williams is ahead of her with 123 weeks (below are Victoria Azarenka with 36 weeks, Maria Sharapova 21, Jelena Jankovic 18, Ana Ivanovic 12, Venus Williams 11). Read more »

Top three seeds were in action on Day 2 of the Tournament of Champions in Sofia and all the three won their round-robin matches.

Seed No.1 Caroline Wozniacki yesterday eased past Hsieh Su-Wei and today she had another straightforward victory, 6-3 6-1 against Roberta Vinci, to whom she lost last year at the Rogers Cup 6-4 7-5, despite having multiple set points in the second set. At the the 2011 Rogers Cup Wozniacki was not only defending her title, at the time she was ranked No.1.

The world No.11 Dane now has a chance to get back in the Top 10. To achieve that she needs to either win the Tournament of Champions title or reach the final undefeated. Tomorrow Wozniacki plays her last round-robin match in the Serdika Group, against Daniela Hantuchova, who lost to Roberta Vinci yesterday.

In the Sredets Group, seed No.2 Nadia Petrova and seed No.3 Maria Kirilenko, doubles partners who have just this weekend clinched the huge WTA Championships title, both won their singles matches in Sofia, defeating Zheng Jie 6-3 6-3 and home darling Tsvetana Pironkova 6-1 6-4 respectively, and on Thursday they will face each other in the opening match of the day.

Roberta Vinci vs. Hsieh Su-Wei is the third and last match on the Day 3 schedule. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Just like last year, Ana Ivanovic overshadowed her overall unsuccessful season, at least in the light of her form of three years ago, by winning the year-ending Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions in Bali. In addition, the Serb celebrated her 24th birthday on the joyous day.

Ivanovic reached the final with two victories in straight sets, against Roberta Vinci in the quarterfinals and Nadia Petrova in the semis. In the last match of the tournament, the focused Ivanovic defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3 6-0, losing just seven points in the second set, and awoke the hopes of a better 2012.

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Ana Ivanovic has a chance to celebrate her 24th birthday by defending her Bali title, having advanced to the final by defeating Nadia Petrova despite a set point against her in the second set. Her opponent in the title match will be Anabel Medina Garrigues whose second straight opponent retired from the match injured. Hopefully she will not bring bad luck to Ivanovic, who has already had an injury scare because of a fall in Bali quarterfinals. Read more »