Dinara Safina #1 in Women’s Tennis Rankings

Dinara Safina officially took over the top ranking on the WTA Tour on Monday, making her and older sibling Marat Safin the only brother-sister duo to have been No. 1 in professional tennis.

Safina, who has yet to win a Grand Slam tournament title but twice reached a major final, is the 19th woman to top the rankings since they were introduced in 1975. She is also only the second Russian woman after Maria Sharapova.

Safina replaced Serena Williams at the top, even though the American beat her in the Australian Open final this year. Last year, Safina lost to Ana Ivanovic in the French Open final.

Marat Safin was ranked No. 1 on the men’s tour in 2000, the same year he won the first of two Grand Slam singles titles.

“He has two Grand Slams,” Safina said of her brother in a video posted on the WTA’s website. “He’s still much better than me, so I have to catch him.”

Safina won four titles last year.

Victoria Azarenka Beats Serena Williams at Sony Ericsson Open

Rising from her chair following the final changeover, Serena Williams glanced at her skirt and brushed away some lint, trying to look good in defeat.

It wasn’t easy. A sore leg and erratic strokes were too much to overcome, and the top-ranked Williams was upset 6-3, 6-1 Saturday by 19-year-old Victoria Azarenka in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open.

Williams said her left thigh began bothering her in the quarter-finals, and she also was bothered by a sprained ankle.

“It was a little difficult moving to the left and a little bit to the right,” she said.

With a chuckle, she added, “A little forward was also difficult.”

The loss ended Williams’ reign on Key Biscayne. She was bidding for a record sixth women’s title and her third in a row. Instead, she fell to 38-2 in the tournament since 2001, with the only other loss to her sister Venus.

“I’m not that bummed, because I feel like there’s next year,” Williams said. “And then there’s the year after and the year after.”

The result heralded the emergence of Azarenka, a Belarusian who trains in Scottsdale, Ariz., and will crack the top 10 next week for the first time.

Novak Djokovic will bid for his second Key Biscayne men’s title Sunday against Andy Murray, the tournament’s first British finalist.

Williams played with her thigh taped, and even when she wasn’t on the move, her strokes lacked consistency. She served poorly and had trouble putting Azarenka’s 90 m.p.h. serves into play.

Williams limped at times and said she considered pulling out before the match.

“I don’t like to not play,” she said. “I gave the effort that I could give today. That’s all I could give.”

Azarenka quickly realized Williams wasn’t 100 per cent and took advantage with pinpoint strokes to the corners.

“You could see the leg tape right away,” Azarenka said. “But I wasn’t really paying attention too much, because I had to play my game, and I had to keep her moving as much as I could.”

Williams led 3-2 before Azarenka won five consecutive games to take control. The teenager also won the final five games and closed out the biggest win of her career when Williams sailed a backhand long. Azarenka tossed away her racket, covered her face and hopped to the net.

Her voice shook during the trophy ceremony.

“I’m sorry. I think I forget my English right now,” she told the crowd. “It was such an honour for me to play Serena. She’s the greatest player for me. I was so happy to be able to play her and win.”

For Azarenka, it was a big improvement on their match in the fourth round at the Australian Open in January, when she became sick to her stomach beforehand and lost.

Azarenka said she battled nerves Saturday, but they betrayed her only with an occasional double-fault. She was so poised serving in the final game that when she challenged a call and was advised the replay system had malfunctioned, she smiled and won the next point.

“She has really, really improved,” Williams said. “I actually look forward to playing her again so I can play a little better, and obviously do better. She’s going to be a really good player.”

Azarenka was the steadier player in rallies, often punctuating her shots with a two-tone shriek worthy of Maria Sharapova. A subdued Williams remained impassive throughout, even as the match slipped away, in contrast with Roger Federer’s racket-breaking outburst that stunned the stadium Friday.

Williams dropped serve five times and committed unforced errors on 34 of the 64 points she lost. Despite reaching the final, she was erratic throughout the tournament: She lost five games in a row a staggering five times.

Despite the defeat, she’ll retain the No. 1 ranking for a 10th consecutive week next week, while Azarenka will climb to No. 8.

Azarenka, who won her first tour title three months ago at Brisbane, improved to 23-2 this year. She grew up in Minsk and befriended NHL goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, who invited her to the United States to train. She moved to Scottsdale and has lived there with Khabibulin and his wife since 2005.

Azarenka said her title would be big news in Belarus, where the most famous tennis player has been men’s doubles specialist Max Mirnyi, who teamed with Andy Ram to win the doubles title Saturday. She was expecting a congratulatory phone call from President Alexander Lukashenko, whom she met when she was in grade school.

“He came to one of the tennis tournaments, and I was presenting flowers to him,” she said.

Azarenka won US$700,000, more than the men’s first prize of $605,500. The two tours offer the same total prize money but distribute it differently.

“I can spend it in one day,” Azarenka said. “I’m not allowed to drink in the States yet, but I’ll definitely go celebrate somewhere.”

Maria Sharapova Withdraws from Sony Ericsson Open

Maria Sharapova withdrew Friday from the upcoming Sony Ericsson Open, saying she’s not ready to play a full tournament of singles as she recovers from a shoulder injury.

Defending men’s champion Nikolay Davydenko also withdrew because of a foot infection. The tournament begins Wednesday.

Sharapova played her first match in seven months March 12 when she lost in doubles at Indian Wells. She was forced off the WTA Tour last August by a torn rotator cuff and underwent surgery on her right shoulder two months later.

Sharapova plans to continue her rehabilitation.

“It felt great to be back on tour last week, even if it was just playing doubles,” she said in a statement. “I am still not ready to play seven consecutive matches and will have to withdraw from the Sony Ericsson Open.”

Roger Federer Beats James Blake

Roger Federer overcame an ailing back to beat James Blake in a one-set exhibition Tuesday. Federer rallied from 3-1 down to win 7-6, taking the tiebreaker 10-7. His victory came days after a sore back contributed his struggles at the Masters Cup, where he failed to reach the semifinals.

John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg also played at the ”Showdown of Champions,” which included 4 one-set matches.

Federer, now ranked No. 2, lost his No. 1 ranking to Rafael Nadal before winning his 13th Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open. He was forced him to withdraw from the Paris Masters because of his back and said he needs a break from tennis. ”It has been a tough season with lots of travelling and I could just sleep for a month,” he said. ”I felt fine during the game, but obviously after a hard season I would need some time off. I’m glad we are at the end of the season and I will take it easy for a few weeks.”

The 10th-ranked Blake beat Federer the last time they played, at the Beijing Olympics.

After dominating tennis the last few years, Federer began the year recovering from mononucleosis. He still managed to reach three major finals and the semifinals at the fourth.

His U.S. Open win pulled him within one title of Pete Sampras’ Grand Slam record, but Federer was undecided on whether he would prefer to win his first French Open crown in 2009 or his sixth Wimbledon.

”That’s a pretty hard question to answer,” Federer said. ”I’ll probably have the answer in August.”

In another singles match, McEnroe beat Borg 7-6 (13-11). ”I’m delighted to have won this match as it was really tough,” said McEnroe, who is famous for angrily disputing line calls. ”I hate to say this but the linesmen did a good job.”

Federer and Borg then teamed to play McEnroe and Blake in doubles, and the Americans won 7-5.

Nestor and Zimonjic Win in Shanghai

Canadian Daniel Nestor and Serbian partner Nenad Zimonjic claimed the ATP’s season-ending No. 1 doubles ranking with an impressive 7-6 (3), 6-2 win over American twins Bob and Mike Bryan in the final of the Masters Cup on Sunday.

Toronto’s Nestor, 36, has now won back-to-back year-end Masters titles after capturing the event here a year ago with former partner Mark Knowles of the Bahamas. It was a fight to the finish in the final match of the season to determine which team would claim the year-end honour.

An efficient 73-minute victory by new partners Nestor and Zimonjic denied the Bryans a chance to finish as the No. 1 pair for a record fourth straight year, and fifth time overall.

Entering the contest at the Qi Zhong arena, Wimbledon champions Nestor and Zimonjic trailed by 31 points in the season race. Their victory nosed them over the finishing line as undefeated champions for the week in China.

In the individual standings, Zimonjic ended as the top individual player since he has played two fewer tournaments than Nestor, who will finish No. 2. Nestor and Zimonjic fought back in the first set after the Nestor went down a break. After breaking back to tie the set 3-3, the teams remained on serve until the tiebreaker. Zimonjic struck 1st with an ace for a 3-0 lead and Nestor claimed the set after 46 minutes with his volley winner past the Bryans. The Nestor team increased the pressure in the set, finishing the match with a break. The teams had met in three previous finals this season, with Nestor and Zimonjic winning in Toronto and Hamburg while the Americans were victorious in Rome.

Roger Federer to Davis Cup

Roger Federer ended the speculation over his Davis Cup plans Tuesday, announcing he will play for Switzerland against the United States next March.

It will be the first time in five years that the 13-time Grand Slam singles winner has broken up his early season schedule for the Davis Cup. “I am excited to once again join my fellow Swiss teammates, who I have a great friendship with,” Federer said on his official website. “I look forward to what I am sure will be a tough weekend.”

The World Group first-round series will be played March 6-8 in the U.S. at a venue to be chosen by the United States Tennis Association in the next six weeks.

Federer helped Switzerland rejoin the elite World Group when it beat Belgium last month. He beat Kristof Vliegen in straight sets, then teamed up with Stanislas Wawrinka, his Olympic doubles gold medal-winning partner in Beijing, to win their doubles match.

Federer last played a Davis Cup first-round match in 2004, a victory over Romania in Bucharest. “We are obviously very pleased that he decided he will be joining the team,” Swiss Tennis spokeswoman Sandra Perez said. “That increases our chances.”

Swiss officials were hopeful Federer would face the U.S. because his tournament schedule takes him to California immediately after the Davis Cup for the March 9-22 Indian Wells tournament. “Probably if we were playing the tie in Australia that would have been a little bit more difficult,” Perez said. Switzerland and the U.S. have a 1-1 record in Davis Cup meetings.

In 2001, Federer won three points - including singles victories over Todd Martin and Jan-Michael Gambill - when Switzerland beat the United States in the first round in his home city, Basel. The U.S. beat the Swiss in the 1992 final at Fort Worth, Texas, with Andre Agassi and Jim Courier playing singles and John McEnroe and Pete Sampras in doubles.

Roger Federer to Davis Cup

Roger Federer ended the speculation over his Davis Cup plans Tuesday, announcing he will play for Switzerland against the United States next March.

It will be the first time in five years that the 13-time Grand Slam singles winner has broken up his early season schedule for the Davis Cup. “I am excited to once again join my fellow Swiss teammates, who I have a great friendship with,” Federer said on his official website. “I look forward to what I am sure will be a tough weekend.”

The World Group first-round series will be played March 6-8 in the U.S. at a venue to be chosen by the United States Tennis Association in the next six weeks.

Federer helped Switzerland rejoin the elite World Group when it beat Belgium last month. He beat Kristof Vliegen in straight sets, then teamed up with Stanislas Wawrinka, his Olympic doubles gold medal-winning partner in Beijing, to win their doubles match.

Federer last played a Davis Cup first-round match in 2004, a victory over Romania in Bucharest. “We are obviously very pleased that he decided he will be joining the team,” Swiss Tennis spokeswoman Sandra Perez said. “That increases our chances.”

Swiss officials were hopeful Federer would face the U.S. because his tournament schedule takes him to California immediately after the Davis Cup for the March 9-22 Indian Wells tournament. “Probably if we were playing the tie in Australia that would have been a little bit more difficult,” Perez said.

Switzerland and the U.S. have a 1-1 record in Davis Cup meetings. In 2001, Federer won three points - including singles victories over Todd Martin and Jan-Michael Gambill - when Switzerland beat the United States in the first round in his home city, Basel.

The U.S. beat the Swiss in the 1992 final at Fort Worth, Texas, with Andre Agassi and Jim Courier playing singles and John McEnroe and Pete Sampras in doubles.

Ana Ivanovic Beat Vera Zvonareva at Linz

Top-seeded Ana Ivanovic had no problem defeating Russian Vera Zvonareva in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, to capture the $600,000 Generali Ladies Linz tennis event. The former world No. 1 Ivanovic, who defeated third-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 in the semifinals of this tournament, earned $95,500 for her victory.

Serbia’s Ivanovic added some hardware to what has been a solid year. She took home the French Open and lost in the Australian Open final earlier this year. Ivanovic had two aces and did not double fault on her serve, while Zvonareva did not collect an ace and had seven double faults. The top-seeded Ivanovic converted on all six of her break-point opportunities.

Zvonareva crushed sixth-seeded Frenchwomen Marion Bartoli, 6-0, 6-1, in here semifinal encounter. She walked away with $51,000 as runner-up.

Australian Open Increases Purse

The 2009 Australian Open will offer 22 million Australian dollars (C$16.9 million) in prize money next year, with the men’s and women’s singles winners receiving an 18 per cent increase. Tournament officials said at the event launch Wednesday that the singles winners will receive A$1.62 million each, or about C$1.25 million each based on current exchange rates. The Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of next year, will be held from Jan. 19-Feb. 1.

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova of Russia are the defending singles champions. The tournament is set for its first night women’s final on Saturday, Jan. 30, following a move it made in 2005 to a night men’s singles championship on the final Sunday.

Tennis Australia chief executive Steve Wood said the tournament hoped to improve on this year’s attendance figure of 605,000, which was up on the 2007 total of 550,000. “We know our pre-sales are already 15 per cent up on last year and we think we’re in great shape,” said Wood, adding that the tournament will feature the prospect of Roger Federer winning his 14th Grand Slam title to equal Pete Sampras’ record.

Federer lost in the semifinals at Melbourne Park to Djokovic this year, then was defeated by Rafael Nadal in the finals at the French Open and Wimbledon. Federer beat Andy Murray in the U.S. Open final for his 13th major.

Shuai Peng Advances at Tashkent Open

Top-seeded Chinese Shuai Peng led Thursday’s charge into the quarterfinals at the $145,000 Tashkent Open.

Peng handled Dutch qualifier Arantxa Rus 6-1, 7-5 on the hardcourts at Tashkent Tennis Centre. Peng’s quarterfinal opponent on Friday will be sixth- seeded Romanian Monica Niculescu, who beat Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3, 3-4 on Day 4, as Shvedova retired in the second set, citing an illness.

In other second-round action, third-seeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea topped Russian Anna Lapushchenkova 6-1, 6-4 and rising Portuguese teenager Michelle Larcher de Brito dismissed Belarusian Tatiana Poutchek 6-4, 6-1.

Friday’s other quarters will pit Cirstea against the 15-year-old Larcher de Brito, fourth-seeded German Sabine Lisicki versus Pole Urszula Radwanska and fifth-seeded Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova against Romanian Ioana Raluca Olaru.

The 2008 Tashkent champion will collect $22,925.

Next Page »