WTA Tournament of Champions 2010: Ana Ivanovic returns to Top 20 after title win

Former world number one Ana Ivanovic secured the WTA Tournament of Champions 2010 title on Sunday after beating Russian Alisa Kleybanova in straight sets 6-2, 7-6. The win at the event held at Bali, Indonesia also assured her return to the world’s top 20.

“I’d like to congratulate Alisa for a great week, and a fun week too. She gave me a really tough match today,” Ivanovic said to the crowd after the match.

“Thanks to all of you who show up every day and give us big support all season. We’ve all had a lot of fun in Bali and I really hope to see you all next year,” she added.

Ivanovic struggled with injury since winning the French Open title in 2008 and clinching the number one ranking. She went as low as number 65 in the world rankings but saw a resurgence in the past few months, highlighted by a title win in Linz, Austria.

The 23-year old Serb said that her belief in self had propelled her to give her very best in recent tournaments, including this one in Bali.

“It’s great to win another title. It’s a big step for me. The second set today came down to mental strength and just believing in myself. The last few months have been really exciting. It’s a great way to go into next season,” she said.