On the Baseline Tennis News

Aces

Serena and Venus Williams have committed to play in the Western & Southern Financial Group Women’s Open. (Journal News)

Two of the world’s Top 15 players — No. 12 Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) and No. 14 Victoria Azarenka (BEL) — are headed to Memphis, Tennessee for February’s Celllular South Cup.

The tournament will also feature one of the game’s all-time greats, Pete Sampras, in an exhibition match to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

128 players. One singles champion.

Aaress Lawless takes a first look at the 2009 Australian Open singles draw and gives her thoughts on the players to watch, the dangerous floaters to follow, and her pick for the women’s title.

Petra Kvitova won her first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour title of any kind on Friday at the Moorilla Hobart International. Prior to this week, her best results were quarterfinal finishes at Budapest and Zürich last year.

Elena Dementieva won her second straight title of the 2009 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour season at the Medibank International on Friday.

Beijing Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva has capped off her amazing start to 2009 by winning the women’s singles title at the Medibank International Sydney on Friday.

In the women’s final, which was a repeat of the Beijing gold medal match, third seed Dementieva defeated her countrywoman and second seed Dinara Safina 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.

The seedings have been determined, the draw has been announced, and now it is your turn to tell us who you think will win the Australian Open!

Take a moment to leave your pick for the women’s singles title in this week’s edition of Open Forum Friday.

The 2009 Australian Open women’s singles main draw was announced on Friday at Melbourne Park.

World number one Jelena Jankovic is in the same half of the draw as her countrywoman and 2008 Roland Garros champion Ana Ivanovic, Dinara Safina and Vera Zvonareva.

Global banking firm BNP Paribas is the new title sponsor of the Indian Wells tournament, formerly known as the Pacific Life Open.

The BNP Paribas Open, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Premier event, will be held from March 9-22, 2009 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

Tennis fans around the world can follow the 2009 Australian Open Draw Ceremony live on the internet, courtesy of AO Radio.

The announcement of the men’s and women’s draws is scheduled to begin at 10:00am in Melbourne, approximately 6:00 pm ET in the United States on Thursday.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame announced on Thursday the names of the newly elected members to the prestigious organization in Newport, Rhode Island.

Leading the Induction Class of 2009 is nine-time Grand Slam champion and former World No. 1 Monica Seles.

The 2009 Moorilla Hobart International final will be an all-Czech Republic meeting between Iveta Benesova and Petra Kvitova.

Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva reached the final round of the Medibank International on Thursday after beating Ai Sugiyama and Serena Williams, respectively.

Five months and one day since they met in the final of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, second seed Dinara Safina will play third seed Elena Dementieva in the championship round of the Medibank International on Friday.

For the first time in the tournament’s history, which dates back to 1885, the women’s final will be an all-Russian affair.

World number one Jelena Jankovic leads the list of seeded players for the 2009 Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia.

Tennis Australia announced on Thursday the thirty-two women who were given seeded positions for the season’s first Grand Slam.