Dinara Safina Replaces Serena Williams As WTA's World No 1
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Wednesday 22nd April, 2009 13 when she had “a disaster match” At the start of last year’s US in the third round of the Miami Open, there were six women who tournament, losing to Sam Stosur, had a mathematical chance of a journeywoman from Australia. leaving Flushing Meadows as the No 1. And what about the demoted There is no doubt that Serena Williams? likes having that ‘1’ beside her The Californian has been the name, but regardless of what the champion at the two grand slams, computer says, she always sees Top of the world: taking her career tally for majors herself as the best in the world, so Dinara Safina to 10 by winning last year’s US the recent changeover isn’t going Open and this season’s Australian to affect her worldview. In Open, and she also featured in the Serena’s mind, she’s never any- final of the one before that, losing thing less than No 1, baby. to her older sister Venus at last And Serena could be back at summer’s Wimbledon. the top very soon. That would be When Safina and Williams the best thing for women’s tennis, played in the final at Melbourne for a grand slam-winning force Park this year, the match was so like Williams to be No 1. Or for one-sided as to have bordered on Safina to stay at the top, and go on the embarrassing. Of those two to win the next slam, the French players, which do you think Open, a tournament where she should be rated as the best in the last year finished as the runner- world? up to Ivanovic. When Jankovic was the No 1 Being a post-Henin world No 1 has not been such a great thing, as Sharapova, a past champion at Wimbledon, and the US and Australian Opens, has not played a singles match since last August as she recuperates from an opera- Dinara Safina replaces tion to her shoulder, and Ivanovic, last year’s French Open winner, The former women’s tennis champion Monica Seles at the Women’s struggled in the second half of Sports Foundation’s 28th Annual Salute to Women in Sports at the last season because of a thumb Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York. The 35-year-old Seles has written a injury. book: “Getting a Grip on My Body, My Mind, My Self” which was You can see why Kim Clijsters, Serena Williams as released Tuesday, April 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File) a former world No 1 and US Open champion, is returning to the sport later this season. All this movement at the top is in contrast to the men’s game. Just for the love of the game WTA’s world No 1 When Rafael Nadal became the world No 1 last summer, ending Federer’s four years at the top, Cape Town: Sachin you should do this and that, Jelena Jankovic. Now we have at the start of the year, Roger there was no quibbling, no argu- Tendulkar on Sunday said but the important thing is by Mark Hodgkinson another queen without a crown. Federer suggested that anyone ment, no debate. he is not playing cricket to the enjoyment and your con- The credibility of the women’s who had not won a grand slam The only men’s world No 1 not prove anything to anybody tribution to the team. It need er older brother, Marat ranking system takes a hit when should not be allowed to be to have won a grand slam title but because of the sheer not be about big runs or Safin, is the great racket- someone can be officially rated as numero uno, a comment that infu- was Marcelo Rios, of Chile. love of the game and he is wickets, even making a Hdestroyer of men’s tennis, the best female tennis player on still enjoying himself. small contribution to the riated the Serbian, who first When the announcement came banging one frame on to the the planet and yet she has never topped the list last season. through that Safina was to “I have not started play- team matters. It’s all about ground with such force in Monaco been the champion in at least one Perhaps the blame can be laid replace Williams, the Muscovite’s ing cricket to prove any- contribution and satisfac- last week that the handle snapped of the grand slam cities of at the small feet of Justine Henin, comments were on the defensive thing to anybody and I don’t tion,” he said. clean off. And perhaps some Melbourne, Paris, London and the dinky Belgian abruptly side. “There’s no question that think even Rahul (Dravid) or Tendulkar said for him observers will be having similarly New York. Even worse is when it announcing last May, when she while I am very proud of my anyone else does that. We it’s not about statistics but destructive thoughts towards the happens twice in the same year. was the world No 1, that she was results over the past year, I would started playing because of enjoyment and satisfaction. women’s ranking computer after Dinara Safina to topple Serena quitting the sport, as since then have liked to reach this achieve- the love of the game and (PTI) Dinara Safina replaced Serena Williams as world No 1. Of the top ranking has also been held ment in a different manner,” while doing that at times we Williams to become the world No course, it’s not Safina’s fault, and by five different players - Maria Safina said. perform and at 1. it wasn’t Jankovic’s either, that Sharapova, Ana Ivanovic, “I hope to prove to everyone times we don’t,” Safin and Safina became the she has reached the top of the Jankovic, Williams and this week over the coming months that I Tendulkar said. first brother-and-sister duo to rankings without ever having it was Safina’s turn to go top. merit the honour of being world “People say have both held the respective top won one of those trophies, but it The Williams sisters don’t No 1.” rankings, but more significant does not look great for women’s play enough tennis to ever com- This is the unfortunate posi- than that is that she is the second tennis. Safina has not won a title pletely dominate the tour again. tion we have reached, that a play- no-slam wonder this year to be at any level of tournament, let The women’s ranking system er can become world No 1, and ranked in that position in the alone at a grand slam tourna- appears to reward consistency sound almost apologetic about it. women’s game. The first of this ment, since last September. rather than excellent, trophy-win- © The Telegraph Group, year’s no-slam number ones was Safina’s last appearance was ning tennis at the slams. London, 2009 Ferguson’s attack on Benitez BOSTON (AP) -Kenya’s Salina Kosgei outkicked is sad, says Sammy Lee Kara Goucher and defending champion Dire by Rory Smith Tune in the last mile of the Boston Marathon on The co-ordinated attack on Monday, going back and Rafael Benitez’s “arrogance” issued forth with Tune in the by Sir Alex Ferguson and Sam final blocks of Boylston Allardyce has been dismissed as Street to win the closest “sad” by the Spaniard’s most trust- women’s finish in event ed lieutenant, Liverpool assistant history. manager Sammy Lee. Ethiopia’s Deriba Ferguson and his close ally at Merga overcame his fade Ewood Park both offered stinging in the Olympic marathon rebukes to the Liverpool manager at Beijing to win the last week over a hand gesture dur- men’s race, with Ryan ing Blackburn’s 4-0 defeat at Anfield Hall picking up another last Saturday,the Scot suggesting it third place for U.S. run- was “beyond the pale” and “pointed ners - their best showing to the man’s arrogance” and in more than 20 years. Allardyce branding it “dismissive” Merga had pulled and “contemptible”. away by the bottom of But Lee believes nothing could Heartbreak Hill, winning This two picture combi- be further from the truth, insisting in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 42 nation shows Deriba Benitez’s gesture was directed at his seconds - 50 seconds Merga of Ethiopia, at own players and outlining his sur- ahead of second-place left, raising his arms as prise Allardyce needed several days finisher Daniel Rono of he breaks the tape to before he described his unhappiness Kenya, with Hall another win the 113th Boston at the Spaniard’s behaviour. 8 seconds back. The Daily Bung: Cristiano Merga led much of Marathon as Salina Ronaldo’s face to launch a thousand the Olympic marathon Ethiopia’s Merga, Kosgei of Kenya, at lubricantsHe said: “Rafa’s certainly last August before he right, edges out Dire not arrogant and I think the things wilted in the heat and Tune of Ethiopia to win that have gone on are quite sad, real- was passed in the last the women’s division quarter-mile, finishing Kenya’s Kosgei ly.Any gestures we make on the in Boston, Monday, touchline are directed at our own fourth. players, not anybody else. His victory Monday April 20, 2009.(AP “He’d asked the players to do one gave Ethiopia its second win in Boston Photo/Charles Krupa) thing and they did another which, in five years; Kenya had obviously,resulted in a goal.