Wozniacki upset by Radwanska, could lose No. 1 ranking

World No. 1, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, was upset on Wednesday in a quarterfinal match at the 2012 WTA Apia International Sydney tournament by No. 7 seed, Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland.

Wozniacki had a chance to serve out the match at 5-4 in the second set, but was broken, then lost four straight games leading to a 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 defeat. In that final set, the 21-year-old Dane underwent multiple treatments on her left wrist.

Petkovic and Venus Williams withdraw from Australian Open

With the 2012 Australian Open just around the corner, the tournament withdrawals are mounting. Today, the No. 10 seed, Andrea Petkovic of Germany withdrew with a stress fracture in her lower back. The injury could keep her sidelined for two months.

Petkovic lost 7-5, 6-4 to Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in a second-round match at the Sydney International on Tuesday. She needed an injury time-out during the match to receive treatment from a trainer.

Sharapova loses in first round of Pan Pacific Open

No. 15 ranked Maria Sharapova of Russia was sent packing today by No. 67 ranked wildcard Kimiko Date Krumm of Japan in the first round of the 2010 Pan Pacific Open being played in Tokyo, Japan.

The 23-year-old Maria was the defending champion of this tournament, but was shown the exit door by a local resident and all-time Japanese # 1 Kimiko who turns 40 tomorrow.

Long-time Japanese crowd favorite Kimiko stunned the former world No. 1 Maria 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. Kimiko advanced in 2 hours, 9 minutes, as Maria, still struggling with her serve, piled up 11 double faults and had her big serve broken five times.

Serena Williams downs Sharapova

World No. 1 Serena Williams of the USA advanced to the Quarterfinals of Wimbledon 2010 by downing No. 17 Maria Sharapova of Russia.

It was a close match from the start, with the 1st set going to a tie-break. Maria had two set points in the tie-break but was unable to convert. Maria then committed a double fault that was a good foot beyond the service line. That gave Serena her third set point. She slammed an ace down the middle and the first set was hers at 11-9. Serena continued hitting booming serves and went on to win the 2nd set 6-4.

Wozniacki, Schiavone, Radwanska and Pennetta among upsets at the 2010 AEGON International

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark was among the early upsets at the 2010 WTA AEGON International being played June 14-20 in Eastbourne, England. The No. 1 seed was defeated in the 1st round by Aravane Rezai of France 6-4, 1-6, 6-3.

The Wimbledon warmup claimed other top seeds in the 1st round, including No. 2 seed and 2010 French Open champion, Francesca Schiavone of Italy who was eliminated by Sorana Cirstea of Romania 7-5, 6-3.

It appears the warmup is getting the unseeded players more warmed up than the top seeds. It could be an interesting Wimbledon. Warm up your TV sets by Monday, because here we go!

Kuznetsova, Safina, Azarenka, Dementieva, Wozniacki, Radwanska among top 10 seed upsets in Rome

Maria Kirilenko of Russia is making her way through the draw at the 2010 WTA Internazionali BNL d’Italia currently being played May 2-9 in Rome, Italy. In reaching the Quarterfinals, she knocked off No. 5 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 in round 2. In round 3, she defeated Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1. Kirilenko now faces No. 1 seed, Serena Williams of the USA in the Quarterfinals.

Another big upset in Rome was achieved in round 2 by Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania who defeated No. 3 seed, Dinara Safina of Russia, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-1. Dulgheru was then ousted by No. 14 seed, Nadia Petrova of Russia, 0-6, 6-3, 2-6.

Sharapova, Safina, and Serena Williams Drop Out of Sony Ericsson Open

Two of the top Russian tennis players in the world, Maria Sharapova and Dinara Safina, plus the current No. 1 ranked player in the world, Serena Williams of the United States, have all withdrawn from the 2010 WTA Sony Ericsson Open running in Miami, Florida, USA on March 23 – Apr. 4 because of injuries.

Sharapova, who won earlier this year in Memphis and was looking forward to playing in Miami for the first time since 2007, was forced to withdraw after an MRI revealed a bone bruise on her right elbow. She is expected to miss 3-6 weeks of competition.

Serena Williams Seeded No. 1 For 2010 Australian Open

Serena Williams is seen here at her book signing at Harrods department store in London, on November 2, 2009. Now it’s time to put the books away and focus on tennis. Williams, who is currently ranked No. 1 on the WTA Tour is seeded No. 1 for the 2010 Australian Open set to begin Jan. 18 in Melbourne. Yes, Grand Slam tennis is about to get under way.

Tournament officials could have used a discretionary seeding to place Justine Henin in the draw, but they chose not to. So the Belgian former champion playing in her first Grand Slam tournament since announcing her return from retirement will be a dangerous threat, possibly meeting some of the top seeds in the opening rounds.

Serena Williams Ends 2009 At Controversial No. 1

Amidst controversy and spectacular play, Serena Williams of the United States ends 2009 ranked No. 1 in the world on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. Once before in her 14 year career she achieved the No. 1 year-end ranking, seven years ago in 2002.

Just three years ago, in 2006 she had dipped to No. 95 at year’s end following an injury-plagued season. She lost in the 3rd round at the Australian Open to Daniela Hantuchova. Williams then withdrew from all events until summer with a left knee injury, including Roland Garros and Wimbledon. She spent 18 weeks outside of the top 100 during that time. Then after starting up again, she lost at the U.S. Open in round four, ending the year at #95. In 2007 she started her climb back up the rankings, moving up to No. 7 at the end of the year, and finishing 2008, No. 3.[SonyEricssonWTATour.com]

Serena Williams Cements No. 1 World Ranking With Championship At Doha

Serena Williams solidified her World No. 1 ranking by winning the Sony Ericsson Championships on Sunday, November 1, 2009 in Doha, Qatar. She claimed the championship with a straight-sets win over her sister, Venus Williams, and a 5-0 record for the tournament. Venus was back to defend her title from last year, but Serena made sure that did not happen.

The Final was competitive between the two sisters. However, both were struggling with injuries and had heavy taping on their left legs. Serena was dominate in the opening set, winning 6-2. Venus then stepped up her game in the second set, managing to force a tiebreak. However, Serena came out on top, winning the match 6-2, 7-6(4).