Eleven-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams has booked herself a ticket into the season-ending Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships.
The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour announced on Wednesday that Williams has qualified for the prestigious tournament in Doha, Qatar. The world’s top eight singles players and top four doubles teams from the 2009 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour season will compete for the coveted Sony Ericsson Championships title and a share of the record Championships prize money of $4.45 million.
Williams joins World No.1 Dinara Safina of Russia, who was the first player to qualify for the Championships two weeks ago.
“I am really excited about qualifying for the Sony Ericsson Championships for the ninth time in my career,” said Serena Williams. “It’s never easy and it’s never a guarantee, so I am thrilled to be going to Doha and competing against some of the best players in the world.”
Serena Williams, the 27-year-old American, has had a stellar 2009 season, winning two Grand Slam singles titles (Australian Open and Wimbledon), and reaching the quarterfinals of Roland Garros, losing to eventual champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.
A finalist at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, Williams has eight wins over Top 10 opponents this season, and has held the No.1 ranking for 11 weeks during the season (week of February 2 through week of April 13).
[...] The world’s top eight singles players and top four doubles pairs will share the record of the $4.45 million prize money provided at the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, Qatar. (source: On the Baseline) [...]