With just two Premier level tournaments left to go in 2009, as well as the season-ending championships in Doha, opportunities for the top players to add some big ranking points to their record are dwindling.
Premier Tournament Points Remaining in 2009
Beijing (China Open) – 1,000 ranking points (Premier Mandatory)
Moscow (Kremlin Cup) – 470 ranking points (Premier 700)
Doha (Season Ending Championships) – 1,500 ranking points (based on undefeated round robin play)
Who do you think will end the 2009 season as No. 1? Tell us your opinion in the comments below or send a reply on Twitter to @OnTheBaseline.
Paula Vergara is a freelance tennis journalist, covering the WTA and ATP tours. Paula’s publishing credits include On the Baseline Tennis News, Tennis.com, USTA New England Magazine, and Bob Larson’s Tennis News. Paula is also a member of the United States Tennis Writers’ Association. To view her work, visit www.paula-vergara.blogspot.com.
Safina will but will need to right the ship to stay there in early 2010
I think Dinara has the edge over Serena, especially as you never know if Serena is serious about playing the fall indoor season.
All I can do is HOPE Roger is #1!!!!
I agree with what you said, Aaress. I’m assuming that Serena’s the only other person with a shot, right? No one else can gain enough points, can they?
Probably will be Safina, I don’t see much competition this late in the season.
Serena Williams could become #1 by going further than Safina at Beijing this week, and if she does so, she will almost certainly end 2009 at #1, as she has virtually nothing to defend by then.
The ITF is currently debating whether to ban Serena from next year’s Majors. I’d rather see the Majors without the #1 than the #1 who is without Majors.
The race for the No. 1 spot is definitely heating up!
Safina will but will need to right the ship to stay there in early 2010
I never weighed in on the Serena/US Open controversy but I would like to say this @ Andrew Broad: I think that rather than banning Serena (from any tournaments) a better punishment would be to leave her unseeded for a specified number of tournaments. Thus, Serena Williams having to play the qualifiers at the Australian Open and taking a wildcard slot would reinforce the tours position that threatening any official and forfeiting a semi-final match is not to be taken lightly.
Remember, it was the fans who lost. Those individuals and families who paid for their tickets and patiently waited out a day of rain at the US Open were shortchanged by Serena from seeing the conclusion of the match (whether those fans were rooting for Serena of Kim, either way). Thus, it is important to not deliver a second blow to fans of the sport by baring Serena from Majors. Who knows, maybe there are fans who have already made arrangements and plans to go to Australia to see the top female tennis players compete.
Can’t a punishment be given to Serena that would not, as adversely, impact the spectators, while at the same time emphasizing the seriousness of disrupting a semi-final match at a major?
Anythingbutlove – thanks for your insightful comments. The fans definitely lost that night at the US Open. In the long run, I think it will be tennis that loses. Going forward, will people be paying for tickets just to hear Serena swear or throw a fit on court or will they come to watch great tennis?
If the ITF chooses to ban Serena from a few tournaments, I believe that it would be a better choice to ban her from the season-ending championships in Doha than to ban her from any of the Grand Slams. I’ve heard that the ITF’s final decision regarding Serena could be made as early as next week.
THE TENNIS WORLD GOT THEIR STORY, THEY WANTED JUST LIKE THEY TRY IN 2004 US OPEN. IT BACKFIRE THEN AND THE RUSSIAN WON THE US OPEN INSTEAD OF JENIFER . YOU GOT YOUR STORY, ALSO JUSTIN IS BACK SO LEAVE SERENA ALONE.
Not seeding Serena would be unfair on any seeds who had to play her earlier than they would do if she were given her rightful seeding. We saw in 2007 just how dangerous an unseeded Serena Williams is at the Australian Open!
Forcing Serena to play qualifying, while humiliating, would be unfair on those players who would have a chance to reach the main draw of a Major if they didn’t have to face Serena.
If, indeed, Serena is deemed to have committed a major offence, then a suspension would be the only appropriate punishment short of legal action.
Had she launched her foul-mouthed tirade and threatening body-language on British public transport, she would have been prosecuted.
Cool, anythingbutlove. Yeah go ahead and ban her now. That will give her 3 months so she can practice upon the return of Justine. ha! Or give her Doha and make her play Indian Wells as someone else stated. In Texas we say “about time for her to blow her stack” as she has been unjustly penalized by the linespeople before at the US Open, Andrew Broad.
You can make various little mistakes when learning or competing and at first you don’t even notice the problem.
At present the ranking is worthless to me as it doesn’t represent a real quality.
Here’s my view on the past two no.1 spot holders.
Safi – gave it her best shot, got to the finals several times so the quality is definitely there UNFORTUNATELY she is a headcase
Needs to ignore media and Serena and focus on her game to be able to make it all the way through. Next season will test her resilience.
Serene Serena (just kidding) – Yeah, the rings are there but the season is not just about grand slams which is why the ranking went. Thrived whilst the non-Belgian sun was shining, will it last in the future? Hmmm, a big question mark from me although we probably all know.
I think the difference between quality of both players AT THE MOMENT (yes I now S.W. has 11 slam, so what?) is perfectly demonstrated by the point differents between them which is HUGE…ehm, 5 points :0)