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Tennis Wta Rankings

Latest Wta Rankings Stories

Serena Williams On Two Weeks' Notice

Serena Williams was just two points away from a semifinals exit from the U.S. Open back in September when she began her now infamous tirade at the lineswoman who helped make her departure a reality by calling a foot fault that sparked the meltdown.

Now, nearly two months later, the ITF has announced they will make a ruling on her further punishment within two weeks. She was originally fined $10,500 -- $10,000 maximum on-court fine allowed plus $500 for racquet abuse -- but potentially faces more fines and a possible suspension from the WTA.

"It's in the hands of the Grand Slam administrator, who I believe has now completed his investigation and will be making a ruling within the next two weeks," United States Tennis Association President Lucy Garvin told The Associated Press on Friday. "That's what we have been told -- that Serena would hear, we would hear."

Serena Tops Venus in Year-End Finals

DOHA, Qatar (AP) -- Serena Williams said she didn't arrive at the Sony Ericsson Championships expecting to win.

Plenty of other people did that for her.

Williams bested big sister Venus again Sunday, winning 6-2, 7-6 (4) in the season-ending tournament for her third victory of the season. Williams also won Wimbledon and the Australian Open, and clinched the year-end No. ranking earlier in the week.

"It feels great," said Serena, who also won the WTA Tour's season-ending event in 2001. "I totally didn't expect to come here and win."

WTA Finals Will Be All-Williams Affair

DOHA, Qatar (AP) -- The Williams sisters will end their season with another title matchup.

Venus Williams defeated Jelena Jankovic 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 Saturday in one semifinal at the Sony Ericsson Championships. Serena Williams won the other when Caroline Wozniacki quit because of an abdominal injury while trailing 6-4, 0-1.

Serena, who secured the year-end No. 1 ranking this week, is returning to the final of the WTA Tour's season-ending championships for the first time since 2004. She was knocked out in the group stage the last two years, but was the only player to go undefeated through the round-robin rounds this time.

Serena Clinches Semifinals Spot, Venus Stays Alive in Doha

DOHA, Qatar (AP) -- Serena Williams became the first player to clinch a spot in the semifinals of the WTA Sony Ericsson Championships on Thursday, defeating Elena Dementieva 6-2, 6-4 for her third straight win in the tournament's round-robin group phase.

Her sister Venus, the defending champion, stayed alive by beating Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-4 for her first win in three matches. She needs Kuznetsova to beat Dementieva on Friday to have a chance of advancing to the semifinals.

Earlier, Caroline Wozniacki overcame severe leg cramps and a tenacious Vera Zvonareva to win 6-0, 6-7 (3), 6-4.

Serena Williams Is No. 1, and Deserves It

Serena Williams
She threatened a player, didn't try most of the year, famously threatened a line judge and was thrown out of a match.

The other thing Serena Williams did in 2009 was this:

She won the year-end No. 1 ranking. It became official Wednesday in Doha, Qatar, at the WTA Championships when Dinara Safina, the current No. 1 Williams was trying to overcome, withdrew from the tournament with a bad back. It guaranteed that Williams would finish the year No. 1 for the first time since 2002.

Two more things: She deserves it.

And it's the best thing for tennis.

Ana Ivanovic Works With Charities

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Ana Ivanovic is on top of the world. She is a star athlete, who was once ranked No. 1 in the world. That's not to mention she has millions of dollars and looks that stops traffic. But life wasn't always that easy.

In this FanHouse video, Ana talks to us about how she used to practice tennis while growing up in a war-torn Belgrade, Serbia (formally part of Yugoslavia). We also hear from Ana about her charity work and what she would rather have, her shoes or her racket.

Check out the video after the jump.

Despite Health Concerns, Serena Wants to Play in Fed Cup Finals

The soon to be No. 1 women's tennis player in the world says she wants to play in the Fed Cup finals against Italy next month. But before she can commit, Serena Williams wants to be sure sure she is healthy enough.

Serena is holding off on making a decision until after the season-ending championships in Qatar.

"I definitely want to play again. I am just trying to get there," Williams said. "It's just really hard to see how my body is going to be after Doha, (Qatar) -- if I am going to be walking or if I am going to be in a wheelchair."

Safina Didn't Have 'It' for No. 1 Spot

The pain is over. The anguish, the torture, the pressure, the agony.

When Dinara Safina took the No. 1 ranking in women's tennis in April, she said it was her childhood dream. She also apologized for it, which was our first warning.

But now, finally, she has lost the ranking. Serena Williams, after her 6-3, 6-2 victory over Russian Ekaterina Makarova in the second round of the China Open Tuesday, will move to No. 1 next week. It's a much better fit for everyone.

No Safety Net as Tennis Weighs Potential Serena Punishment

Serena WilliamsThe stakes go way up now.

Tennis' governing bodies have no way out of a racial mess over Serena Williams.

No. 1 Dinara Safina, a point of controversy over why she has that ranking in the first place, lost again Monday. And now, Williams has to win just one more match, Tuesday in China against a nobody, to finally regain her spot as No. 1 in the world.

Sharapova, Jankovic Advance to Quarters at Pan Pacific Open

TOKYO (AP) -- Maria Sharapova recovered from a slow start Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Toray Pan Pacific Open with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over compatriot Alisa Kleybanova.

The former top-ranked Russian, who has been struggling since returning from a 10-month injury layoff, will face Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals on Thursday. Benesova defeated Taiwan's Chang Kai-chan 7-5, 6-2.

Sharapova, 25th in the world rankings, took control of the match in the second set when she broke Kleybanova three times to open up a 5-0 lead. Kleybanova broke back in the sixth game and held before Sharapova served to win the set.

Greg Couch

Greg CouchGreg Couch is a national columnist and award-winning tennis writer for FanHouse.com. A former ranked amateur tennis player, who dabbled in a few pro tournaments, he came to FanHouse after 12 years at the Chicago Sun-Times. "The best tennis writer in America," according to Jason Whitlock, national columnist and guest host of the Jim Rome radio show.