Sandy Pramuji

Aravane Rezai of France, left, and Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan painting pots during their visit to a ceramic tableware manufacturer in Jimbaran, Bali, on Tuesday. (Photo: Firdia Lisnawati, AP)

Players Relax Before Bali Tennis Tourney

It is only natural to indulge one’s self on Bali, one of the world’s foremost tourist destinations, and the players at the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions are no exception.

Before the 12 competitors playing on the Island of Gods this week hit the court in competition, they took part in off-court activities designed to pamper them and give them a taste of Bali’s culture.

Play at the Bali International Convention Center in Nusa Dua begins today and runs through Sunday, with Sabine Lisicki of Germany and France’s Aravane Rezai contesting the first match at 2 p.m.

On Tuesday, though, players started the day in Jenggala, Jimbaran, with a short course of ceramic pot painting. Jenggala is one of Indonesia’s finest producers of ceramics, and its products have been recognized throughout the country and the world.

The players, who normally earn their living through their rackets, had a chance to express their creativity and show they could create things other than winners and aces with their hands. With assistance from in-house artists, the players drew and swiped colors on their pots for more than an hour.

The players’ pots will be auctioned off, with the funds given to a charity for local community development in Bali.

On Monday, Lisicki, Rezai, Yanina Wickmayer, Melinda Czink, Kimiko Date-Krumm and alternate Vera Dushevina took in a beauty class called “Pevonia Journey to Flawless Skin” at Laguna Spa.

The session taught the players how to retain smooth skin despite spending the majority of their time under the sun.

Other than Date-Krumm, most of the players had a tough time choosing and applying the skin care products to their faces.

“I’m 39, so I have to take a good care of my body,” Date-Krumm said with a laugh. “I do this kind of facial twice a week, so I’m quite familiar with how to do this.”

Once the two-day pampering sessions were over, players returned their focus to the season-ending $600,000 tournament.

“Now back to work and try to win this tournament,” Rezai said. “This will be a tough tournament to win as all of us here are great players and have big chances to win.”

Second seed Samantha Stosur of Australia, who arrived in Bali on Monday night from Doha, Qatar, said she was ready for the tournament and in good shape.

“I’m not tired, and I’ll do my best here,” she said.

Stosur played one doubles match at the Sony Ericsson Championship in Doha with partner Rennae Stubbs. They lost to Cara Black and Liezel Huber in the semifinals on Saturday.

The Australian opens her Bali campaign today against Agnes Szavay of Hungary.

Tournament organizers did not release the full fixture list for the tournament. They will instead announce the order of play each morning before the day’s matches begin.

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