An Ace To The Tennis Stars

The world’s top ladies tennis stars are raving about the treatment they get from Destino Spa, a Filipino-owned Bay Area pampering haven that has catered to their off-court feminine whims in the last two Bank of the West tournaments at the Taube Family Stadium on the Stanford University campus.

Destino’s Filipina managing director Christine Rivera, 33, said the world’s No. 2 player Kim Clijsters of Belgium is a "pet client and a very satisfied customer." Clijsters won her fourth and second straight Bank of the West title via a 6-4, 6-2 romp over Patty Schnyder last week.

Clijsters, 23, has been untouchable in the world’s oldest all-female tennis tournament since Destino was selected as the official spa sponsor last year. Although hampered by a variety of injuries throughout her career, Clijsters has dominated the 36-year-old tournament the last two years with Destino by her side.

Christine, the fourth of six children, is the daughter of boxing scholar and former Philippine consulate press attaché in San Francisco Hermie Rivera. Her mother Cristina is a schoolteacher. The Riveras, who are pure Ilocanos from Pangasinan, relocated to Newark in the Bay Area in 1983. Hermie shuttles from Newark to Manila and back in search of Filipino ring prospects who could follow in the footsteps of his protégés, former world champions Luisito Espinosa and Morris East.

Christine earned her esthetic license at Fremont Beauty College and massage hours at the Body Therapy Center. She worked five years at a San Carlos spa before becoming an industrial partner at Destino. Her fiancé Billy Cesano, a Filipino hotel management graduate of the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, owns the land where Destino stands.

It’s no coincidence that Clijsters has played her best tennis in Stanford with Destino as the spa provider.

Destino has offered the tennis stars the ultimate luxury by transforming the players’ lounge into a spa haven with flowing water fountains, aromatherapy candles, facials, massages and hair, nails, waxing and foot treatments. It has also set up a courtside booth to provide chair massages and complimentary beverages to spectators.

A bonus for the players was the gift bag that Christine herself prepared. The bag contained items from Acqua Cures, A Sense of Scents, Baby Phat, Control Corrective Skincare, HMA Designs, ITOEN Teas, kNutek, Lalicious, Pure Inventions, Via Botanica Bodycare and Oral Fixation Mints.

"We are thrilled beyond belief to have been chosen by Bank of the West and the International Management Group for the second year in a row to participate in this first-class event," said Christine. "They informed us that no other tennis tournament offers players a spa lounge or gift bags at this level so we are delighted that they have elected to place their confidence in us again."

Tournament director Adam Barrett said Destino’s sponsorship was such a hit last year that the top players asked for a repeat sponsorship.

Destino was recently voted as the spa with the best massage and facial in Silicon Valley by Citysearch.com. A premier destination for physical rejuvenation and relaxation, it is located just minutes from Stanford University. Destino combines Eastern influences, ancient beauty rituals and rigorous service standards and offers a full range of spa services.

Last year, Clijsters defeated Venus Williams, 7-5, 6-2, in the Bank of the West finals and went on to bag the US Open crown, her first Grand Slam title. She has been ranked No. 1 in the world twice.

Bank of the West has sponsored the Stanford tournament the last 15 years. With $55 billion in assets, it has over 680 branches in 19 states.

Clijsters has earned over $14 million in prize money since turning pro in 1998. Known for her splits on the court, Clijsters was once engaged to Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt. She is now engaged to former Villanova cager Brian Lynch, a 6-6 forward who has played as an import in Germany, Italy, France, Greece, Portugal, Poland, Israel and Belgium.