Rezai takes Bali final after Bartoli retires
Bali, Indonesia (Sports Network) - Aravane Rezai took home the WTA Tournament of Champions title on Sunday after fellow Frenchman Marion Bartoli retired following the first set of their finals match.
Rezai, 22, won her second career WTA singles title, with the other coming back in May in Strasbourg just before the French Open.
The top-seeded Bartoli was up 5-3 in the first set before her countrymate rallied to take the set 7-5. The five-time title winner had her left thigh taped up prior to hitting a double fault that gave her opponent the set, and she retired shortly thereafter.
Bartoli had won previously this year in Monterrey and Stanford, but fell to 2-2 in finals in 2009.
Rezai, who was seeded 10th, and Bartoli were squaring off for the third time. Bartoli won both previous meetings without dropping a set, including a second- round matchup in Tokyo just five weeks ago.
Rezai, as an undefeated champion in this round-robin event, earned a first prize of $200,000.
11/08 03:58:27 ET
