Russian Dinara Safina reclaimed first place in the WTA world rankings on Monday, edging back in front of Serena Williams on the eve of the season-ending Tour Championships in Doha.
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.
World number one Dinara Safina was upset 7-5, 7-6 by local wild card Zhang Shuai in the second round of the $6.6 million China Open on Monday, leaving Serena Williams one victory away from reclaiming top spot in the rankings. Serena's sister Venus, the world number three, also had a bad day, losing to Russian teenager Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for the second week in a row, this time 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
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.
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.
World number one Dinara Safina cut a dejected figure after suffering a 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 shock defeat by Taiwanese qualifier Chang Kai-chen in her opening match at the Pan Pacific Open on Monday.
While the computer tells Russia's Dinara Safina she is the leading player in women's tennis, the crushing pressure to win a grand slam title is sucking all the fun out of being world number one.
Fixtures from the US Open Women's Singles Round 1 matches
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.
Five-times defending champion Roger Federer and Russian Dinara Safina will be the top seeds at the U.S. Open when it begins next Monday, the U.S. Tennis Association said on Tuesday.
World number one and holder Dinara Safina made an early exit from the Toronto Cup on Wednesday, shocked 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 by 39th ranked Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai.
A rejuvenated Jelena Jankovic upset world number one Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-2 to win the Cincinnati Open on Sunday. The fifth-seeded Serb took advantage of an error-strewn display from the Russian to clinch her second title of the year.
World number one Dinara Safina will take on a rejuvenated Jelena Jankovic in the final of the Cincinnati Open after hugely contrasting wins on Saturday. Russian Safina stormed into her eighth final of the year with a 6-2, 6-0 demolition of Italian Flavia Pennetta, while fifth seed Jankovic saved four match points to beat fourth seed Elena Dementieva 7-6, 0-6, 7-6 after two hours and 46 minutes.
A pumped up Maria Sharapova overcame Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-7, 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the third round of the LA Championships on Wednesday.
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.
Venus Williams will play her sister Serena in Saturday's Wimbledon final after a crushing 6-1, 6-0 victory over top seed Dinara Safina of Russia in the semi-finals on Thursday.
Dinara Safina finally got to show why she is top seed on Wimbledon's showpiece court, taming former champion Amelie Mauresmo on Monday to reach the quarter-finals for the first time.
Top seed Dinara Safina struggled against a knee injury to edge into the second round at Wimbledon on Tuesday as she chases her dream of winning a grand slam.
Dinara Safina shattered Jelena Jankovic's chances of securing the women's number one ranking with a 7-6, 6-1 victory in the semi-finals.
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.
World number one Dinara Safina downed Slovakian 20th seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-3 6-3 to reach the French Open final on Thursday. Safina clinched victory on her second match point after one hour 41 minutes to keep alive her dreams of winning a maiden Grand Slam title.
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.
World number one Dinara Safina came from behind to survive her first real test at the French Open on Tuesday, reaching the semi-finals after beating feisty Belarussian teenager Victoria Azarenka 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.
World number one Dinara Safina swept to her second claycourt title in as many weeks with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki in the Madrid Open final on Sunday. After her triumph over compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova in last week's Rome final, the powerful Russian top seed sealed another comfortable win and looks in fine form leading up to the French Open at the end of this month.
World number one Dinara Safina overcame erratic form to beat unseeded Swiss Patty Schnyder 6-4 6-2 in the semi-finals of the Madrid Open on Saturday.
World number one Dinara Safina took a first step towards a second consecutive claycourt title by battling to a 6-3, 7-6 victory over Li Na at the Madrid Open on Wednesday.
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.
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.
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.
World number two Ana Ivanovic suffered a surprise 6-2, 7-5 defeat by Elena Dementieva in the semi-finals of the German Open.
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.
World number two Dinara Safina battled into the fourth round of the WTA event in Indian Wells on Sunday, beating Peng Shuai of China 7-5, 6-4. Fourth seed Vera Zvonareva of Russia booked her place in the last 16 with a routine 6-3, 6-1 win over Czech Petra Kvitova.
Top seed Dinara Safina survived a tough test of her title credentials before beating Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria 7-6, 6-2 in the second round of the WTA event in Indian Wells on Friday.
Venus Williams edged sister Serena 6-1, 2-6, 7-6 (3) on Friday to reach the final of the Dubai Championships.
Jelena Jankovic reached the semi-finals of the Sony Ericsson Open after Elena Dementieva retired with a back injury.
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.
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.
Dinara Safina charged into the semi-finals of the Australian Open on Tuesday with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over a brave Jelena Dokic. Dokic's emotionally-charged run at Melbourne Park had captured the imagination of her adopted homeland but her luck finally ran out against the in-form Safina.
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