Dinara Safina was forced to once again defend her number one ranking after squeezing by unheralded Kristina Barrois at the US Open on Thursday, her second successive struggle against an unseeded opponent.
Elena Dementieva beat fellow Russian Dinara Safina 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 in the final of the Sydney International on Friday to complete a perfect buildup to next week's Australian Open.
World number one Justine Henin was dumped out of the German Open on Thursday, losing 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 to 13th seed Dinara Safina of Russia in the third round.
Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova and Dominik Hrbaty ripped up the form book to win the Hopman Cup with victory over Russia in Perth on Friday.
Dinara Safina made a scrappy start to her Beijing duel with Serena Williams for the world number one spot by beating Italian Roberta Vinci 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the $6.6 million China Open on Sunday.
Italian Flavia Pennetta caused an upset by beating third seed Jelena Jankovic 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the Stuttgart Grand Prix quarter-finals on Friday.
The Indian ace overcame a hesitant start to beat the Greek and make the third round of the San Diego Classic.
It took about two years for Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin to come out of retirement. Kimiko Date Krumm waited 12 years before letting the fire inside her burn again and Dinara Safina felt the full heat in Paris.
China's Li Na scored an emphatic 6-2, 6-2 win over ninth seed Dinara Safina in the Australian Open third round.
Maria Sharapova beat Marion Bartoli 6-1, 6-2 to book a place in the Los Angeles Open quarter-finals.
Dinara Safina and Maria Kirilenko were upset in the first round of San Diego Classic.
Images from day three of the Australian Open 2012 tennis tournament in Melbourne, on Wednesday.
Fixtures from the US Open Women's Singles Round 1 matches
Serena Williams returned to the top of the world with a routine win at the China Open on Tuesday but Andy Roddick and Jelena Jankovic plumbed the depths when their title defences ended in their opening matches.
A brief look at the strengths and weaknesses of the leading contenders for the women's title at the French Open which begins on Sunday.
World number nine Svetlana Kuznetsova marched into the Stuttgart Grand Prix final on Saturday, crushing fellow Russian Elena Dementieva 6-4, 6-2 in just 67 minutes.
Second seed Serena Williams admitted closing the roof on Rod Laver Arena because of the soaring temperatures helped her battle back from a first set deficit to beat Svetlana Kuznetsova 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 on Wednesday. The American's victory prevented a Russian sweep of the Australian Open semi-finals and she will now play Elena Dementieva in the last four on Thursday.
Russia's Elena Dementieva lost 6-1, 6-3 to compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the second round of the rain-hit Cincinnati Open on Wednesday, but Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters both advanced to the third round.
Spain's Rafael Nadal and Jelena Jankovic of Serbia have been confirmed as the top seeds for this year's Australian Open, which begins on Monday.
Two years after Justine Henin stunned the sport by announcing her retirement at the age of 25 on the eve of her French Open defence, the Belgian is back and eager to show Roland Garros what it has been missing.
With a heavy rain expected to hit Flushing Meadows later in the day, Serb Jankovic relied on her trademark dogged retrieving to beat Russian Elena Dementieva 6-4, 6-4 before the muscular Williams swept away Dinara Safina 6-3, 6-2 in the women's singles semi-finals at the US Open.
Serbia's Ana Ivanovic claimed her first grand slam title with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Russia's Dinara Safina in the French Open final on Saturday.
Ana Ivanovic will become the first player representing Serbia to be ranked world number one when the new WTA rankings are released on Monday. The 20-year-old Serb dislodged Russia's Maria Sharapova from the top when she defeated compatriot Jelena Jankovic to reach the final of the French Open on Thursday.
Jelena Jankovic reached the semi-finals of the Sony Ericsson Open after Elena Dementieva retired with a back injury.
Serena Williams stayed on course to end the year as world number one when she beat Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-6, 7-5 on the opening day of the WTA Championships after sister Venus suffered a shock defeat on Tuesday.
Top seed Rafa Nadal battled through a tricky second round tie against American James Blake on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the $6.6 million China Open. The world number two, playing his first tournament since picking up an injury at the US Open, was far from his rampaging best but again proved his fitness by winning 7-5, 6-7, 6-3 in a 143-minute contest.
Serb Jelena Jankovic has rediscovered her form in time for the U.S. Open, while compatriot and fellow former world number one Ana Ivanovic is still looking to turn her season round.
Russian seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova struggled past Australian 30th seed Samantha Stosur 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 to book her place in the French Open final on Thursday. Kuznetsova will take on compatriot Dinara Safina, the world number one, in an all Russian final on Saturday.
Russian seventh seed Svetlana Kuznetsova held off a bold challenge by Serena Willams to beat the American world number two 7-6, 5-7, 7-5 and reach the French Open semi-finals on Wednesday. The 2006 Roland Garros runner-up will face Australian Samantha Stosur, seeded 30th, for a place in Saturday's final.
Sixteen players who won a maiden Slam at Roland Garros in the Open era failed to go on and win another one.
Former Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli beat seventh seed Caroline Wozniacki 7-6, 6-4 at the Stuttgart Grand Prix on Thursday to set up a quarter-final against world number three Elena Dementieva. World number one Dinara Safina also moved into the last eight with a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 win over Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia and will now meet Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska.
Also making it to the last eight were Svetlana Kuznetsova and Czech teenager Nicole Vaidisova.
Sania Mirza and Yuki Bhambri were beaten by France's Mathilde Johansson and Argrntina's Diego Junqueira in first round matches at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami on Wednesday.
Venus Williams edged sister Serena 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (3) on Friday to reach the final of the Dubai Championships.
Sania Mirza's singles campaign at the Dubai Open ended when she was beaten 5-7, 2-6 by world No 24 Kaia Kanepi of Estonia in the second round on Tuesday.
Second and third seeds Jelena Jankovic and Daniela Hantuchova were sent spinning from the Amelia Island tennis championship on Friday.
Serena Williams thrashed Russia's Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-3 on Saturday to win the Australian Open title and reclaim the world number one ranking. The American raced to victory in just 59 minutes to capture her fourth singles title at Melbourne Park, after her previous wins in 2003, 2005 and 2007, and her 10th Grand Slam overall.
Fourth seeded Williams beat Serbian second seed Jelena Jankovic in straight sets to win her third US Open crown and ninth Grand Slam title.
A half-fit Sania Mirza and rookie Sunitha Rao tried every tricks in the book but still could not avert a defeat against top seeded Russian duo of Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dinara Safina in the second round of the women's doubles tennis event of the Beijing Olympics on Wednesday night.
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