Archive for: October 2009

Dinara Safina regained the World No. 1 ranking on Monday, October 26, 2009, taking over the spot from Serena Williams just in time for the Sony Ericsson Championships, which begins play on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009.

The Sony Ericsson Championships is a unique tournament, both in the way the players are determined, and in the way the format is played. The tournament draw consists of only the top eight singles players and the top four doubles teams from the 2009 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour season. They now compete for the coveted Sony Ericsson Championships title and a share of the record $4.55 million prize money. Prize money like that would make all the hard work of the past season really worth the effort.

Martina Hingis has reported that she will not come back to tennis following her two-year ban in 2007 for testing positive for cocaine. She says she is happy with her new life. “I’ve got a nice house, my four horses. On the tour, I had no life.” She added that if she had not been tested positive for cocaine, she likely would have retired anyway. She says she was on a downslope. After being suspended for two years, that was it. No more tennis.

Justine Henin has made it definite, she will return to the WTA Tour at the Brisbane International which is scheduled two weeks before her comeback to Grand Slam tennis at the 2010 Australian Open.

As a former No. 1 ranked player, it will be great to have Henin back in the realm of women’s tennis. The 27-year-old Belgium has 41 WTA Tour titles, an Olympic gold medal, has won three of the four majors, and is a seven-time major winner.

Samantha Stosur of Australia kisses the trophy she won on Sunday at the WTA HP Japan Women’s Open held Oct. 12-18, 2009 in Osaka, Japan. At age 25, it was her first WTA singles title since turning pro in 1999.

The No. 13 ranked player was hardly tested throughout the tournament. She won each of her first three matches in straight sets, defeating Alexandra Panova 6-2, 6-4, Akiko Morigami 6-1, 6-2, Jill Craybas 6-1, 6-3. In the Semifinals, No. 6 ranked Caroline Wozniacki took Stosur to 3 sets, with Stosur coming out on top 6-0, 4-6, 6-4. In the Final match, Stosur was back to a straight sets victory over No. 24 ranked Francesca Schiavone 7-5, 6-1 to take home the hardware.