2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions

{{Infobox tennis event|2012|Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions| | date=30 October – 4 November | edition=4th | category=[[WTA Tournament of Champions|WTA Tournament of Champions]] | surface=Hard / indoor | location=[[Sofia]], [[Bulgaria]] | champs= {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Nadia Petrova]] | before_name=Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions | after_name=Garanti Koza WTA Tournament of Champions | main_name=WTA Tournament of Champions }}

The '''2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions''' was a singles-only tennis tournament that was played on indoor hard courts in [[Sofia]]. It was the fourth edition of the [[WTA Tournament of Champions|tournament]] and was part of the [[2012 WTA Tour]]. The 2012 edition was the first held in Sofia, having been relocated from [[Bali]], where the tournament was held for the previous three years and called the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions. The tournament was played between October 30 and November 4. [[Ana Ivanovic]] did not defend her title this year for two reasons: She did not win, or reach, a single final this year in order to gain direct acceptance, and she did not receive a wild card due to her participation in the [[2012 Fed Cup]] finals.

==Tournament== The 2012 WTA Tournament of Champions was the fourth edition of the event and the first in Sofia. The tournament was run by the [[Women's Tennis Association]] (WTA) and was part of the [[2012 WTA Tour]]. It was the season ending championships for players who have won one of the [[WTA International tournaments]] but have not qualified for the [[WTA Championships]]. The singles draw saw eight women qualify from the year, and began as a round robin event, split into two groups of four, with the top four ranked players seeded. Over the first four days of competition, each player met the other three players in their group, with the top two in each group advancing to the semifinals. The first-placed player in one group met the second-placed player in the other group, and vice versa. The winners of each semifinal met in the championship match.

==Prize money and points== The total prize money for the 2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions was US$750,000. {|class=wikitable style=text-align:center |- style="background:#d1e4fd;" !Stage!!Singles!!Points 1 |- |Champion ||RR2 + 190,000 ||RR2 + 195 |- |Runner-up ||RR2 + 65,000 ||RR2 + 75 |- |Semifinalist ||RR2 + 10,000 ||RR2 |- |Round Robin (3 wins) ||80,000 ||180 |- |Round Robin (2 wins) ||65,000 ||145 |- |Round Robin (1 win) ||50,000 ||110 |- |Round Robin (0 wins) ||35,000 ||75 |} *1 for every match played in the round robin a player gets 25 points automatically, and for each round robin win they get 35 additional points *2 RR means Prize money or Points won in the Round Robin Round. *3 Alternates receive $7,500 in prize money, even if they do not participate.

==Qualifying== The six highest-ranked players who have captured at least one International tournament during the year and who are not participating in singles at the year-end [[WTA Championships]] in Istanbul or the finals of the Fed Cup will automatically qualify for the event. The last two players are wildcards. The wildcards were awarded to [[Tsvetana Pironkova]] and [[Maria Kirilenko]].

=== 2012 WTA International tournaments champions === {{see also|WTA International tournaments}} {| class="sortable wikitable collapsible collapsed" |- ! Player ! Nationality ! Tournament/s Won |- | [[Zheng Jie]] | {{flag|CHN}} | {{flagicon|NZL}} [[2012 ASB Classic|Auckland]] |- | [[Mona Barthel]] | {{flag|GER}} | {{flagicon|AUS}} [[2012 Moorilla Hobart International|Hobart]] |- | [[Daniela Hantuchová]] | {{flag|SVK}} | {{flagicon|THA}} [[2012 PTT Pattaya Open|Pattaya City]] |- | [[Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino]] | {{flag|ESP}} | {{flagicon|COL}} [[2012 Copa Sony Ericsson Colsanitas|Bogotá]] |- | [[Sofia Arvidsson]] | {{flag|SWE}} | {{flagicon|USA}} [[2012 Cellular South Cup|Memphis]] |- | [[Tímea Babos]] | {{flag|HUN}} | {{flagicon|MEX}} [[2012 Monterrey Open|Monterrey]] |- | [[Hsieh Su-wei]] | {{flag|TPE}} | {{flagicon|MAS}} [[2012 Malaysian Open|Kuala Lumpur]] {{flagicon|CHN}} [[2012 Guangzhou International Women's Open|Guangzhou]] |- | [[Angelique Kerber]] | {{flag|GER}} | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[2012 e-Boks Open|Copenhagen]] |- | [[Kiki Bertens]] | {{flag|NED}} | {{flagicon|MAR}} [[2012 Grand Prix SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem|Fes]] |- | [[Kaia Kanepi]] | {{flag|EST}} | {{flagicon|POR}} [[2012 Estoril Open|Estoril]] |- | [[Francesca Schiavone]] | {{flag|ITA}} | {{flagicon|FRA}} [[2012 Internationaux de Strasbourg|Strasbourg]] |- | [[Alizé Cornet]] | {{flag|FRA}} | {{flagicon|AUT}} [[2012 Gastein Ladies|Bad Gastein]] |- | [[Melanie Oudin]] | {{flagu|USA}} | {{flagicon|GBR}} [[2012 Aegon Classic|Birmingham]] |- | [[Nadia Petrova]] | {{flag|RUS}} | {{flagicon|NED}} [[UNICEF Open|'s-Hertogenbosch]] |- | [[Sara Errani]] | {{flag|ITA}} | {{flagicon|MEX}} [[2012 Abierto Mexicano Telcel|Acapulco]] {{flagicon|ESP}} [[2012 Barcelona Ladies Open|Barcelona]] {{flagicon|HUN}} [[2012 Budapest Grand Prix|Budapest]] {{flagicon|ITA}} [[2012 Internazionali Femminili di Palermo|Palermo]] |- | [[Polona Hercog]] | {{flag|SLO}} | {{flagicon|SWE}} [[2012 Swedish Open|Båstad]] |- | [[Bojana Jovanovski]] | {{flag|SRB}} | {{flagicon|AZE}} [[2012 Baku Cup|Baku]] |- | [[Magdaléna Rybáriková]] | {{flag|SVK}} | {{flagicon|USA}} [[2012 Citi Open|Washington, D.C.]] |- | [[Roberta Vinci]] | {{flag|ITA}} | {{flagicon|USA}} [[2012 Texas Tennis Open|Dallas]] |- | [[Irina-Camelia Begu]] | {{flag|ROU}} | {{flagicon|UZB}} [[2012 Tashkent Open|Tashkent]] |- | [[Kirsten Flipkens]] | {{flag|BEL}} | {{flagicon|CAN}} [[2012 Bell Challenge|Quebec City]] |- | [[Caroline Wozniacki]] | {{flag|DEN}} | {{flagicon|KOR}} [[2012 Hansol Korea Open|Seoul]] |- | [[Heather Watson]] | {{flag|GBR}} | {{flagicon|JPN}} [[2012 HP Open|Osaka]] |- | [[Victoria Azarenka]] | {{flag|BLR}} | {{flagicon|AUT}} [[2012 Generali Ladies Linz|Linz]] |- | [[Venus Williams]] | {{flagu|USA}} | {{flagicon|LUX}} [[2012 BGL Luxembourg Open|Luxembourg]] |} <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wtatennis.com/page/RoadToSofia/0,,12781,00.html |title=WTA | Tournaments | Road To Sofia | Road To Sofia |publisher=Wtatennis.com |access-date=2012-06-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121127150953/http://www.wtatennis.com/page/RoadToSofia/0,,12781,00.html |archive-date=2012-11-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Qualifiers=== {| class="wikitable" style="float:right;margin-left:1em;font-size:90%;text:justify;" |-align="center" |colspan=4|''' WTA-Race Singles rankings (22 October 2012)''' |- ! width=15|Sd !! width=170|Player !! width=20|Rk !! width=200|Won |- | 1 | {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Caroline Wozniacki]] | 11 | {{flagicon|KOR}} [[2012 Hansol Korea Open|Seoul]] |- | 2 | {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Nadia Petrova]] | 13 | {{flagicon|NED}} [[2012 UNICEF Open|'s-Hertogenbosch]] |- | 3 | {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Maria Kirilenko]] | 15 | [[Wild card (sports)|Wildcard]] |- | 4 | {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Roberta Vinci]] | 16 | {{flagicon|USA}} [[2012 Texas Tennis Open|Dallas]] |-bgcolor=#C7A2A2 |   | {{flagicon|EST}} [[Kaia Kanepi]] | 19 | {{flagicon|POR}} [[2012 Estoril Open|Estoril]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.err.ee/sports/e072252a-e6c2-49d9-88db-bd0bc268a0c0|title=Kanepi Withdraws from Tournament of Champions|work=Estonian Public Broadcasting|date=25 October 2012}}</ref> |-bgcolor=#C7A2A2 |   | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Venus Williams]] | 24 | {{flagicon|LUX}} [[2012 BGL Luxembourg Open|Luxembourg]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=144403|title=Venus Williams to Skip Sofia Tournament of Champions|work=Sofia News Agency|date=23 October 2012}}</ref> |- | 5 | {{flagicon|TPE}} [[Hsieh Su-wei]] | 25 | {{flagicon|MAS}} [[2012 Malaysian Open|Kuala Lumpur]] {{flagicon|CHN}} [[2012 Guangzhou International Women's Open|Guangzhou]] |- | 6 | {{flagicon|CHN}} [[Zheng Jie]] | 29 | {{flagicon|NZL}} [[2012 ASB Classic|Auckland]] |- | 7 | {{flagicon|SVK}} [[Daniela Hantuchová]] | 32 | {{flagicon|THA}} [[2012 PTT Pattaya Open|Pattaya City]] |- | 8 | {{flagicon|BUL}} [[Tsvetana Pironkova]] | 44 | [[Wild card (sports)|Wildcard]] |- |}

[[File:Caroline Wozniaki snapped at match.jpg|thumb|120px|left|[[Caroline Wozniacki]] won in Seoul.]]

;Caroline Wozniacki Wozniacki began the year as the world no. 1; she lost her top ranking after the [[2012 Australian Open|Australian Open]] after losing in the quarterfinals to [[Kim Clijsters]] 3-6, 6-7(4–7).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/wozniacki-loses-world-no1-ranking-after-loss-to-clijsters-20120124-1qfan.html|title=Wozniacki loses world No.1 ranking after loss to Clijsters|work=AAP|date=24 January 2012}}</ref> She did not reach a final until the [[2012 e-Boks Open|e-Boks Open]], where she was the two-time defending champion but lost to [[Angelique Kerber]] 4–6, 4–6.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/wozniacki-loses-to-kerber-in-copenhagen-final/248965-5-22.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420070616/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/wozniacki-loses-to-kerber-in-copenhagen-final/248965-5-22.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=20 April 2012|title=Wozniacki loses to Kerber in Copenhagen final|agency=Associated Press|date=16 April 2012}}</ref> At the [[2012 French Open|French Open]], she lost to [[Kaia Kanepi]] 1-6, 7-6(7–3), 3-6.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis/18307177|title=French Open 2012: Caroline Wozniacki and Schiavone out|work=BBC|date=2 June 2012}}</ref> At [[2012 Wimbledon|Wimbledon]], she was upset by [[Tamira Paszek]] 7-5, 6-7(4–7), 4-6 in the first round.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/06/28/wozniacki-loses-paszek-wimbledon-1st-round.html|title=Wozniacki loses to Paszek in Wimbledon 1st round|agency=Associated Press|date=28 June 2012|access-date=19 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120829031325/http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/06/28/wozniacki-loses-paszek-wimbledon-1st-round.html|archive-date=29 August 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> At the [[2012 US Open (tennis)|US Open]], after reaching the semifinals the previous year, she lost in the first round 2-6, 2-6, which dropped her ranking out of the top 10 for the first time since 2009.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.10sballs.com/2012/08/30/caroline-wozniacki-loses-at-us-open-and-drops-out-of-top-10/|title=Caroline Wozniacki Loses At US Open And Drops Out Of Top 10|work=10balls|date=30 August 2012|access-date=19 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024115617/http://www.10sballs.com/2012/08/30/caroline-wozniacki-loses-at-us-open-and-drops-out-of-top-10/|archive-date=24 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> She won her first title of the year at [[2012 KDB Korea Open|KDB Korea Open]], defeating [[Kaia Kanepi]] 6-1, 6-0.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/8416025/caroline-wozniacki-beats-kaia-kanepi-win-kdb-korea-open|title=Caroline Wozniacki wins Korea Open|agency=Associated Press|date=24 September 2012}}</ref> A few weeks later, she continued her good form and won the title at [[2012 Kremlin Cup|Kremlin Cup]], claiming victory over [[Samantha Stosur]] 6–2, 4–6, 7–5, coming back from 1–4 in the final set.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/tennis/top-stories/Wozniacki-beats-Stosur-to-win-Kremlin-Cup-title/articleshow/16902642.cms|title=Wozniacki beats Stosur to win Kremlin Cup title|publisher=AFP|date=2012-10-21}}</ref> She is making her debut to the event.

'''Nadia Petrova''' Petrova was competing for the second time, having reached the semifinals the previous year. She qualified for the event by winning the [[2012 UNICEF Open|UNICEF Open]], her first grass title defeating [[Urszula Radwańska]] 6-4, 6-3 in the final.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.breakserve.com/paszek-wins-eastbourne-petrova-victorious-in-s-hertogenbosch/|title=Paszek wins Eastbourne, Petrova victorious in s'-Hertogenbosch|work=Break Serve|date=24 June 2012|access-date=19 October 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118113233/http://www.breakserve.com/paszek-wins-eastbourne-petrova-victorious-in-s-hertogenbosch/|archive-date=18 January 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> She won her second title of the year at the [[2012 Toray Pan Pacific Open|Toray Pan Pacific Open]], her first Premier 5 title since its inception, defeating defending champion [[Agnieszka Radwańska]] 6–0, 1–6, 6–3.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/29/sport/tennis/petrova-radwanska-tokyo-final/index.html|title=Petrova stuns Radwanska to win Tokyo title|work=CNN|date=29 September 2012}}</ref> At the slams, she reached the second round of the Australian Open, losing to [[Sara Errani]] 2-6, 2-6.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.bettor.com/Sara-Errani-confirms-third-round-spot-upsets-Nadia-Petrova-Australian-Open-2012-a124169|title=SARA ERRANI CONFIRMS THIRD ROUND SPOT; UPSETS NADIA PETROVA – AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2012|work=Bettor|date=9 January 2012|access-date=19 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418172558/http://blogs.bettor.com/Sara-Errani-confirms-third-round-spot-upsets-Nadia-Petrova-Australian-Open-2012-a124169|archive-date=18 April 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> She then lost in the third rounds of Wimbledon to [[Samantha Stosur]] 3-6, 3-6 and French Open to [[Camila Giorgi]] 3-6, 6-7(6-8).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/sam-stosur-plays-nadia-petrova-in-third-round-of-french-open/story-e6frep5o-1226380753437|title=Sam Stosur beats Nadia Petrova in third round of French Open|work=Couriermail|date=2 June 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/articles/2012-06-29/201206291341004150374.html|title=KIRILENKO AND GIORGI MAKE BREAKTHROUGHS|work=Wimbledon|date=29 June 2012}}</ref> At the US Open, she reached the fourth round, falling to [[Maria Sharapova]] 1-6, 6-4, 4-6.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/tennis/usopen12/story/_/id/8332114/2012-us-open-maria-sharapova-gets-nadia-petrova-spot-quarters|title=Maria Sharapova reaches quarters|work=ESPN|date=3 September 2012}}</ref> She had huge top ten wins over [[Samantha Stosur]] and [[Sara Errani]].

[[File:Maria Kirilenko at the Sony Ericsson Open Tennis, 2012.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Maria Kirilenko]] competing for the first time]] '''Maria Kirilenko''' Kirilenko was one of the two wild card recipients in the event. Kirilenko did not win a title in the year. However, she was able to reach two finals in the year the first of which was in the [[2012 PTT Pattaya Open|Pattaya City]], losing to [[Daniela Hantuchová]] 7-6(7-4), 3-6, 3-6.<ref name=Pattaya>{{cite news|url=http://www.wtatennis.com/news/20120212/hantuchova-outlasts-kirilenko-wins-pattaya_2256076_2608550|title=Hantuchova Outlasts Kirilenko, Wins Pattaya|work=WTA|date=12 February 2012}}</ref> She reached her second final at the [[2012 New Haven Open at Yale|New Haven Open at Yale]] losing to [[Petra Kvitová]] 6-7(9-11), 5-7, despite leading 5-2 in the second set.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/8303065/petra-kvitova-beats-maria-kirilenko-new-haven-open-title|title=Petra Kvitova wins New Haven title|agency=Associated Press|date=25 August 2012}}</ref> She was able to reach the quarterfinals of [[2012 Wimbledon|Wimbledon]] losing to [[Agnieszka Radwańska]] 5-7, 6-4, 5-7 in a rain delayed match.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jul/03/wimbledon-2012-agnieszka-radwanska|title = Wimbledon 2012: Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska sees off Maria Kirilenko|website = [[TheGuardian.com]]|date = 3 July 2012}}</ref> At the [[Tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics|Olympics]] she ended 4th place losing the Bronze Medal Match to [[Victoria Azarenka]] 3-6, 4-6.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/victoria-azarenka-belarus-wins-olympic-131626975--oly.html|title=Victoria Azarenka of Belarus wins Olympic bronze|agency=Associated Press|date=2012-08-04|access-date=2017-01-14|archive-date=2013-01-05|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105121831/http://sports.yahoo.com/news/victoria-azarenka-belarus-wins-olympic-131626975--oly.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the other slams, she lost in the third rounds of the [[2012 Australian Open|Australian Open]] retiring against Kvitová 0-6, 0-1 and of the [[2012 US Open (tennis)|US Open]] losing to [[Andrea Hlaváčková]] 7-5, 4-6, 4-6.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jan/21/australian-open-2012-kvitova-kirilenko|title=Australian Open 2012: Kvitova advances after injured Kirilenko retires|website=[[TheGuardian.com]]|agency=Associated Press|date=2012-01-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/hlavackova-upsets-kirilenko-us-open-3rd-round|title=HLAVACKOVA UPSETS KIRILENKO IN US OPEN 3RD ROUND|agency=Associated Press|date=2012-09-01|access-date=2012-10-23|archive-date=2013-02-24|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130224105053/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/hlavackova-upsets-kirilenko-us-open-3rd-round|url-status=dead}}</ref> She also reached the second round of the [[2012 French Open|French Open]] losing to [[Klára Zakopalová]] 4-6, 6-3, 3-6. Her biggest win came in the quarterfinals of the Olympics over Kvitová.

[[File:Roberta Vinci (ITA) cropped.jpg|thumb|left|120px|[[Roberta Vinci]] reached no. 1 in doubles]] '''Roberta Vinci''' Vinci is participating for the second time after 2011. She qualified to the event by winning the [[2012 Texas Tennis Open|Texas Tennis Open]] defeating [[Jelena Janković]] 7-5, 6-3 in the final and without dropping a set in the tournament.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wtatennis.com/news/20120824/lucky-wta-title-no7-vinci-conquers-dallas_2256076_2899642|title=Lucky WTA Title No.7: Vinci Conquers Dallas|work=WTA|date=2012-08-24}}</ref> She then reached her first slam quarterfinal at the [[2012 US Open (tennis)|US Open]] after defeating world no. 2[[Agnieszka Radwańska]] 6-1, 6-4 before losing to doubles partner [[Sara Errani]] 2-6, 4-6.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sbnation.com/tennis/2012/9/3/3289755/2012-us-open-scores-radwanska-vinci|title=U.S. Open 2012 Scores: Roberta Vinci Upsets Agnieszka Radwanska|work=SbNation|date=2012-09-03}}</ref> In the other slams, she lost in the second round of the [[2012 Australian Open|Australian Open]] to [[Zheng Jie]] 4-6, 2-6, first round of the [[2012 French Open|French Open]] losing to [[Sofia Arvidsson]] 2-6, 6-4, 3-6, and the fourth round of [[2012 Wimbledon|Wimbledon]] losing to [[Tamira Paszek]] 2-6, 2-6.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1030424-jie-zheng-dangerous-at-2012-australian-open-roberta-vinci-out|title=Jie Zheng Dangerous at 2012 Australian Open: Roberta Vinci out|work=Bleacher Report|date=2012-01-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wtatennis.com/news/20121019/arvidsson-keeps-it-up-wozniacki-up-next_2256076_2953478|title=Arvidsson Keeps It Up, Wozniacki Up Next|work=WTA|date=2012-01-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/news/articles/2012-07-02/201207021341231920080.html|title=PASZEK FIRST INTO QUARTER-FINALS|work=Wimbledon|date=2012-07-02}}</ref> She earned another top ten win over world no. 7 [[Angelique Kerber]] 6-2, 7-6(9-7).

'''Hsieh Su-wei''' Hsieh is having a breakthrough season, she started out of the top 100. She won her first ever WTA Tour singles title in the [[2012 Malaysian Open|Malaysian Open]] as a qualifier over [[Petra Martić]] after Martić retired when Hsieh was leading 2-6 7-5 4-1 due to fatigue from playing 3 hours earlier in the day. This made her eligible to qualify for the event<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/news/20120304/malaysian-open-hsieh/|title=Hsieh wins Malaysian Open when Martic retires|agency=Associated Press|date=2012-03-04|access-date=2012-10-24|archive-date=2013-12-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212204522/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/news/20120304/malaysian-open-hsieh/|url-status=dead}}</ref> She also won the [[2012 Guangzhou International Women's Open|Guangzhou International Women's Open]] defeating Britain's [[Laura Robson (tennis)|Laura Robson]] 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, after coming back from 0-3 in the deciding set.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinapost.com.tw/sports/tennis/2012/09/23/355234/Hsieh-Su-wei.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130418193508/http://www.chinapost.com.tw/sports/tennis/2012/09/23/355234/Hsieh-Su-wei.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 18, 2013|title=Hsieh Su-wei wins Guangzhou Int'l Women's Open|work=China Post|date=2012-09-23}}</ref> She also won 3 ITF titles in the year. In the slams, she lost in the first rounds of the [[2012 French Open|French Open]] to [[Flavia Pennetta]] 7-6(7-3), 4-6, 2-6, and of the [[2012 US Open (tennis)|US Open]] to [[Magdaléna Rybáriková]] 3-6, 6-2, 3-6, she also advanced to the third round of [[2012 Wimbledon|Wimbledon]] before losing to World No. 1 [[Maria Sharapova]] 1-6, 4-6.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/jun/29/wimbledon-2012-maria-sharapova-hsieh|title = Wimbledon 2012: Maria Sharapova too strong for Hsieh Su-wei|website = [[TheGuardian.com]]|date = 29 June 2012}}</ref>

'''Zheng Jie''' Zheng had a stellar start of the year by winning the [[2012 ASB Classic|ASB Classic]] over [[Flavia Pennetta]] after the Italian retired while Zheng was leading 2-6, 6-3, 2-0. This win made her viable to qualify for the event.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tennis-auckland-idUSTRE80703620120108|title=Zheng wins Auckland title after Pennetta retires hurt|work=Reuters|date=2012-01-07}}</ref> She continued to have a good form coming into the [[2012 Australian Open|Australian Open]] upsetting then world no. 9 [[Marion Bartoli]] 6-3, 6-3 in the third round before losing to [[Sara Errani]] 2-6, 1-6 in the following round.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.bettor.com/Jie-Zheng-registers-an-upset-against-Marion-Bartoli-in-round-three-Australian-Open-2012-a124598|title=JIE ZHENG REGISTERS AN UPSET AGAINST MARION BARTOLI IN ROUND THREE – AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2012|work=Bettor|date=2012-01-21|access-date=2012-10-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120123151514/http://blogs.bettor.com/Jie-Zheng-registers-an-upset-against-Marion-Bartoli-in-round-three-Australian-Open-2012-a124598|archive-date=2012-01-23|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/tennis/australian-open/result/result-errani-beats-zheng-in-straight-sets_14121.html|title=Result: Errani beats Zheng in straight sets|work=Sportmole|date=2012-06-23}}</ref> At the other slams, she lost in the second round to [[Aleksandra Wozniak]] in the [[2012 French Open|French Open]] 2-6, 4-6.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gbtimes.com/sports/news/french-open-r2-zheng-jie-defeated-wozniak-womens-doubles-progress|title=French Open R2: Zheng Jie defeated by Wozniak, women's doubles progress|work=GbTimes|date=2012-05-30|access-date=2012-10-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120613184019/http://gbtimes.com/sports/news/french-open-r2-zheng-jie-defeated-wozniak-womens-doubles-progress|archive-date=2012-06-13|url-status=dead}}</ref> She also lost in the third rounds of [[2012 Wimbledon|Wimbledon]] to [[Serena Williams]] 7-6(7-5), 2-6, 7-9 and of the [[2012 French Open|French Open]] to world no. 1 [[Victoria Azarenka]] 0-6, 1-6.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/news/20120831/us-open-victoria-azarenka-zheng-jie/|title=Top seed Azarenka breezes past Zheng, into fourth round|agency=Associated Press|date=2012-08-31|access-date=2012-10-24|archive-date=2012-09-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905061807/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/news/20120831/us-open-victoria-azarenka-zheng-jie/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Zheng was able to participate because of the earlier injury-induced withdrawal of qualifier [[Kaia Kanepi]], who was higher ranked.

[[File:Hantuchova-winningJO2012.JPG|thumb|right|200px|[[Daniela Hantuchová]] successfully defended her title in Pattaya]] '''Daniela Hantuchová''' Hantuchová went into a great start of the season by reaching the final of the [[2012 Brisbane International|Brisbane International]], where she lost to [[Kaia Kanepi]] 2-6, 1-6.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/7435368/kaia-kanepi-wins-brisbane-international-andy-murray-advances-final|title=Kaia Kanepi wins Brisbane International|agency=Associated Press|date=2012-01-08}}</ref> At the [[2012 Australian Open|Australian Open]], she reached the third round losing to [[Kim Clijsters]] 3-6, 2-6.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/tennis/australian-open/result/result-clijsters-powers-through-to-fourth-round_13825.html|title=Result: Kim Clijsters defeats Daniela Hantuchova to progress in Aussie Open|work=Sportsmole|date=2012-01-20}}</ref> She then defended her title at the [[2012 PTT Pattaya Open|PTT Pattaya Open]] defeating [[Maria Kirilenko]] 6-7(4-7), 6-3, 6-3 in the final<ref name=Pattaya/> She then withdrew from the entire clay season including the [[2012 French Open|French Open]] due to a left foot injury.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.bettor.com/Daniela-Hantuchova-pulls-out-of-the-French-Open-Tennis-News-a156412|title=DANIELA HANTUCHOVA PULLS OUT OF THE FRENCH OPEN – TENNIS NEWS|work=Bettor|date=2012-05-25|access-date=2012-10-24|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130117201934/http://blogs.bettor.com/Daniela-Hantuchova-pulls-out-of-the-French-Open-Tennis-News-a156412|archive-date=2013-01-17|url-status=dead}}</ref> She then lost in the first rounds of [[2012 Wimbledon|Wimbledon]] 4-6, 6-7(1-7) to [[Jamie Hampton]] and the [[2012 US Open (tennis)|US Open]] to [[Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova]] 4-6, 6-7(1-7).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/news/20120625/wimbledon-jamie-hampton-daniela-hantuchova/|title=American Hampton pulls off upset in Wimbledon debut|agency=Associated Press|date=2012-06-25|access-date=2012-10-24|archive-date=2014-02-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222142626/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/tennis/news/20120625/wimbledon-jamie-hampton-daniela-hantuchova/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsmole.co.uk/tennis/us-open/result/result-pavlyuchenkova-dispatches-hantuchova_42235.html|title=Result: Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova dispatches Daniela Hantuchova|work=Sportsmole|date=2012-08-28}}</ref> Her best win in the season was against then world no. 11 [[Li Na]]. Hantuchová was the last player to gain direct acceptance to Sofia after qualifier [[Venus Williams]] decided not to participate due to other commitments.

'''Tsvetana Pironkova''' Pironkova is one of the wild card recipients, being a native of Bulgaria. Her best results are two quarterfinals. However, she was able to earn two top-ten wins over then world no. 9 [[Li Na]] at the [[2012 Open GDF Suez|Open GDF Suez]], winning after Li retired 7-6(7–5), 3-2 and over then world no. 3 [[Agnieszka Radwańska]] at the [[2012 Aegon International|Aegon International]] 6–2, 6–4.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2012/02/09/2003525031|title=Pironkova goes through as sore Li Na pulls out|agency=Associated Press|date=2012-02-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=140474|title=Bulgaria's Pironkova Kicks Radwanska Out of Eastbourne Tournament|work=Novinite|date=2012-06-29}}</ref> At the slams, she reached the fourth round of the [[2012 US Open (tennis)|US Open]], losing to [[Ana Ivanovic]] 0-6, 4-6.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/ivanovic-beats-pironkova-reach-us-open-quarters-165021214--spt.html|title=Ivanovic beats Pironkova to reach US Open quarters|agency=Associated Press|date=2012-09-03}}</ref> She lost in the second round of the other slams, losing to [[Galina Voskoboeva]] 4-6, 4-6 at the [[2012 Australian Open|Australian Open]], to [[Francesca Schiavone]] 6-2, 3-6, 1-6 at the [[2012 French Open|French Open]] and to [[Maria Sharapova]] at [[2012 Wimbledon|Wimbledon]] 6–7(3–7), 7–6(7–3), 0–6. <ref>{{cite web|url=http://tsvetanapironkovanews.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/pironkova-puts-up-tough-fight-vs-schiavone-at-french-open/|title=Pironkova Puts Up Tough Fight vs. Schiavone at French Open|work=WordPress|date=2012-05-31}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/wimbledon/9360665/Wimbledon-2012-Maria-Sharapova-struggles-against-Tsvetana-Pironkova-before-bad-light-stops-play.html|title=Wimbledon 2012: Maria Sharapova struggles against Tsvetana Pironkova before bad light stops play|work=Telegraph|date=2012-06-27}}</ref>

==Groupings== The 2012 edition of the Tournament of Champion, the competitors were divided into two groups the Sredets and Serdika, which are districts in Sofia. The Serdika Group consists of no. 1 seed Caroline Wozniacki, no. 4 seed Roberta Vinci, no. 5 seed Hsieh Su-wei, and no. 7 seed Daniela Hantuchová. The Sredets Groups are composed by no. 2 seed Nadia Petrova, no. 3 seed Maria Kirilenko, no. 6 seed Zheng Jie, and no. 8 seed Tsvetana Pironkova. The alternates are Sofia Arvidsson and Alizé Cornet.<ref name=head-to-head>{{cite web|url=http://www.wtatennis.com/SEWTATour-Archive/Archive/TournamentStats/2012/1043_h2h.pdf|title=2012 Tournament of Champions – HEAD-TO-HEAD BREAKDOWN|work=WTA}}</ref>

In the Serdika group, in their respective head-to-heads, [[Caroline Wozniacki]] was 7-2, [[Roberta Vinci]] was 4-2, [[Hsieh Su-wei]] was 0-4, and [[Daniela Hantuchová]] was 4-7. Leading the group Wozniacki is down in her head-to-head against Vinci 0-1, losing their only encounter at the [[2011 Rogers Cup]] 6-4, 7-5. Against Hsieh, the Danish has a perfect record of 2-0 winning their last encounter at the [[2012 China Open (tennis)|China Open]] 6-7(5-7), 7-6(7-3), 6-0. Wozniacki also has a good record against Hantuchová, as she led 5-1, with her beating the Slovak twice in the year, with the latest win coming at the [[2012 Toray Pan Pacific Open]] 7-6(7-3), 6-1. Vinci on the other hand has a 1-0 record against Hsieh, with the win coming in the [[2012 Dallas Tennis Classic]] 6-2, 6-2. Against Hantuchová, she is tied at 2-2, with Hantuchová winning their last encounter at the [[2012 Brisbane International]] 7-5, 6-2. In the final head-to-head of the group between Hantuchová and Hsieh, the Slovak leads 1-0 with the win coming in the [[2012 PTT Pattaya Open]] 6-4, 6-1.<ref name=head-to-head/>

In the Sredets group, in their head-to-heads with players within their group, [[Nadia Petrova]] was 12-6, [[Maria Kirilenko]] was 7-9, [[Zheng Jie]] was 8-11, and [[Tsvetana Pironkova]] is 1-2. Petrova's head-to-head in her group is mixed, she is 4-4 against compatriot Kirilenko, with Kirilenko winning their last match at the [[2012 BNP Paribas Open]] 6-1, 5-7, 6-2. She then has a very good record against Zheng compiling an 8-1, with Petrova winning the first 5 meetings and their last meeting at the [[Tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics|2012 Summer Olympics]] 6-4, 7-6(9-7). She is however 0-1 against Pironkova, with the Bulgarian winning at the [[2012 Brussels Open (tennis)|2012 Brussels Open]] 6-3, 6-2. Kirilenko on the other hand is 3-5 down against Zheng in their head-to-head, however she won their last 2 meeting both in 2012, with the latest encounter at the [[2012 Mutua Madrid Open]] 6-2, 7-5. Kirilenko and Pironkova will meet for the first time in the event. In the match-up between Zheng and Pironkova, Zheng lead 2-0 winning their most recent match at the [[2012 New Haven Open at Yale]] 7-5, 6-2.<ref name=head-to-head/>

==Player head-to-head== Below are the head-to-head records as they approached the tournament.<ref name=head-to-head/> {{center| {{8TeamRR |standings-overall = '''Overall''' |YTD W-L='''YTD''' |team-1-abbrev=''' [[Caroline Wozniacki|Wozniacki]]''' |team-1='''{{flagicon|DEN}} [[Caroline Wozniacki]]''' |team-2-abbrev='''[[Nadia Petrova|Petrova]]''' |team-2='''{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Nadia Petrova]]''' |team-3-abbrev=''' [[Maria Kirilenko|Kirilenko]]''' |team-3='''{{flagicon|RUS}} [[Maria Kirilenko]]''' |team-4-abbrev='''[[Roberta Vinci|Vinci]]''' |team-4='''{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Roberta Vinci]]''' |team-5-abbrev='''[[Hsieh Su-wei|Hsieh]]''' |team-5='''{{flagicon|TPE}} [[Hsieh Su-wei]]''' |team-6-abbrev='''[[Zheng Jie|Zheng]]''' |team-6='''{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Zheng Jie]]''' |team-7-abbrev='''[[Daniela Hantuchová|Hantuchová]]''' |team-7='''{{flagicon|SVK}} [[Daniela Hantuchová]]''' |team-8-abbrev='''[[Tsvetana Pironkova|Pironkova]]''' |team-8='''{{nowrap|{{flagicon|BUL}} [[Tsvetana Pironkova]]}}''' |1v2=4–1 |1v3=5–1 |1v4=0–1 |1v5=2–0 |1v6=1–3 |1v7=5–1 |1v8=3–0 |standings-1=20–7|YTD W-L-1=46–20 |2v1=1–4 |2v3=4–4 |2v4=2–2 |2v5=1–0 |2v6=8–1 |2v7=4–3 |2v8=0–1 |standings-2=23–15|YTD W-L-2=34–19 |3v1=1–5 |3v2=4–4 |3v4=3–2 |3v5=1–0 |3v6=3–5 |3v7=2–5 |3v8=0–0 |standings-3=14–21|YTD W-L-3=32–22 |4v1=1–0 |4v2=2–2 |4v3=2–3 |4v5=1–0 |4v6=1–3 |4v7=2–2 |4v8=3–0 |standings-4=12–10|YTD W-L-4=42–26 |5v1=0–2 |5v2=0–1 |5v3=0–1 |5v4=0–1 |5v6=1–0 |5v7=0–1 |5v8=0–0 |standings-5=1–6|YTD W-L-5=46–18 |6v1=3–1 |6v2=1–8 |6v3=5–3 |6v4=3–1 |6v5=0–1 |6v7=0–6 |6v8=2–0 |standings-6=14–20|YTD W-L-6=27–22 |7v1=1–5 |7v2=3–4 |7v3=5–2 |7v4=2–2 |7v5=1–0 |7v6=6–0 |7v8=1–0 |standings-7=19–13|YTD W-L-7=26–21 |8v1=0–3 |8v2=1–0 |8v3=0–0 |8v4=0–3 |8v5=0–0 |8v6=0–2 |8v7=0–1 |standings-8=1–9|YTD W-L-8=19–22 }} }}

==Champions==

===Singles=== {{Main|2012 Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions – Singles}} *{{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Nadia Petrova]]''' def. {{flagicon|DNK}} [[Caroline Wozniacki]], 6–2, 6–1

==See also== *[[WTA Tournament of Champions]] *[[2012 WTA Tour]]

==References== {{reflist|2}}

==External links== *{{official website|http://sofia-tennis.bg/}}

[[Category:2012 WTA Tour|Qatar Airways Tournament of Champions]] [[Category:WTA Tournament of Champions]] [[Category:Tennis tournaments in Bulgaria]] [[Category:Sports competitions in Sofia]] [[Category:2012 in Bulgarian tennis]]