World No 1 Dinara Safina tries to show she deserves her ranking by taking her first Grand Slam title at the US Open, but second-ranked defending champion Serena Williams also eyes the top spot.
World No 1 Dinara Safina tries to show she deserves her ranking by taking her first Grand Slam title at the US Open, but second-ranked defending champion Serena Williams also eyes the top spot.
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The year's final Grand Slam begins on Monday with Williams having already won the Australian Open and Wimbledon crowns, giving the 27-year-old American three of the past four majors and 11 career Slam titles.
But the rankings, based on a 52-week performance, show Safina on top and the 23-year-old Russian - who lost to Williams in the Australian Open final and to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the French Open final - hopes for a Flushing Meadows breakthrough.
"I believe that I am number one," Safina said. "This is a sport that you compete the whole year. I'm working hard day by day. I compete every day. I'm improving every day. I'm doing my best.
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| World No 1 Dinara Safina |
"I want to get a Grand Slam. There's no doubt about that. It's not that I'm number one and I want to stop. I will do my best to win at the US Open. If not, next year I will work even harder to get it.
"To get two dreams at the same time, finish number one and win a Grand Slam, it would be too easy. I got to number one. Now my goal is to win a Grand Slam."
Williams said there is always a lag between success on the court being reflected in the rankings, but after a disappointing 6-3 showing at US Open tune-up events added she must play better to defend her crown.
"I obviously have to play better," Williams said. "Hopefully I will be ready."
Venus Williams, Serena's older sister and a five-time Wimbledon champion, is seeded third and seeking more consistency to make her own run at the top ranking.
"I just have to keep playing consistently," she said. "That's what it takes to be number one so I'm going to try to do that."
Olympic champion Elena Dementieva of Russia is seeded fourth with Serbian Jelena Jankovic, last year's US Open runner-up, seeded fifth.
Add rising stars Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark to the mix and the stage is set for a wide open title chase.
"Serena and Venus are playing good," Safina said. "Svetlana is playing good. Jelena is playing good. Dementieva is playing good. Azarenka is playing good. Basically, we are all there."
Maria Sharaova and Kim Clijsters, both former US Open champions and world number ones, make returns after long lay-offs.
Sharapova, 30th in the rankings, won her second Grand Slam title at the 2006 US Open. She missed last year's tournament with a right shoulder injury that kept her out for nine months.
The Russian star reached the French Open quarter-finals and went down in the second round at Wimbledon, but has improved with every US Open tuneup event, falling in the Toronto final to Dementieva.
Clijsters, who won her only Grand Slam title at the 2005 US Open, ended a two-year layoff to start a family in August. The Belgian lost a Cincinnati quarter-final to Safina and fell to Jankovic in the third round at Toronto.
Clijsters, a wild card entrant, has not played at the US Open since winning her title.
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