Two of the biggest stars in professional tennis, Venus and Serena Williams, will meet for the seventeenth time in their distinguished careers.

Aaress’ Picks for Thursday

Jelena Jankovic vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova
Jelena Jankovic looked very impressive on Tuesday against Ana Ivanovic, who ironically was expected to be her toughest competition in the White Group. The world No. 1 has lost just one match since being beaten by Serena Williams at Flushing Meadows, and has picked up three additional trophies.

Kuznetsova holds a slim lead over Jankovic in their career 4-3 record, but their most recent meeting at the China Open ended in Jankovic’s favor. That match was the latest in a long string of final losses for Svetlana, something that could inspire her to display a better form of tennis than what we saw on Tuesday.
Jelena Jankovic in 2 sets

Venus Williams vs. Serena Williams
It is always hard to predict an All-Williams meeting, and although this is their fourth meeting this season, it is no easier this time around.

Venus summed up the reason perfectly on Wednesday after beating Elena Dementieva. She admitted that one of the most difficult things about playing Serena is that she feels as though she is playing herself. Both women rely heavily on their serve and are comfortable at the net, plus after playing and practicing with each other for over twenty years, they know the other’s game perfectly.

I did notice one thing that might decide the outcome on Thursday. The winner will likely be the player who serves the most consistently. Venus is uncharacteristically struggling with her serve and posted ten double faults on Wednesday. She got away (just barely) with this against Dementieva, but Serena will not hesitate to stand close inside the baseline so she can pounce early on Venus’ second serve. Serena loves ripping cross-court winners on her forehand side, so I would look for many blistering service returns.
Serena Williams in 3 sets

Dinara Safina vs. Elena Dementieva
This could be the end of the road for Dinara Safina, closing the chapter on her spectacular 2008 season. Fortunately for the world No. 2, her season will be remembered for her ascent up the rankings, her French Open finalist finish, and four new career victories. Her 1-2 (or even 0-3) record at Doha will just be a postscript.

Safina is looking more sluggish and tired by the match, and I doubt she will have the legs to weather Dementieva’s baseline rallies. Elena played well against Venus Williams, and I have to favor her chances of reaching the semifinals.
Elena Dementieva in 2 sets

More Doha Information:

Thursday’s Start Time and Match Order of Play

Sony Ericsson Championships Main Draw

Television Listings for ESPN2 and Tennis Channel

Former world number one Serena Williams will launch her bid for a second season-ending Championships title on Wednesday.

Venus and Serena Williams, Elena Dementieva, Ana Ivanovic, Dinara Safina, and Vera Zvonareva are scheduled to compete on day two in Doha.

Aaress’ Picks for Day Two

Ana Ivanovic vs. Vera Zvonareva
Vera Zvonareva looked solid on Tuesday against Svetlana Kuznetsova, but the same thing could hardly be said of Ana Ivanovic. At first glance, it appears that summer slump Ivanovic traveled to Doha. She looked off balance, struggled to find her rhythm, and even suffered from a bout of dizziness late in the second set. However, fortunately for the French Open champion, round robins are not always lost by one defeat.

Ivanovic desperately needs to beat Zvonareva to keep from going 0-2 in the white group. This is a winnable match, especially if she can learn from her defeat on Tuesday and make the necessary game adjustments to compensate for the windy conditions.
Ana Ivanovic in 2 sets

Elena Dementieva vs. Venus Williams
Venus Williams holds a slight advantage over Dementieva because she tested her serve against the wind on Tuesday. Still, I would not expect that to make much of a difference.

Dementieva’s service toss is often all over the place—regardless of wind gusts. The Beijing Olympic gold medalist learned a long time ago to compensate for her shortcomings, so look for her to run down almost everything Venus Williams sends her way.
Venus Williams in 3 sets

Dinara Safina vs. Serena Williams
This will be the dinner (or breakfast or lunch, depending on your time zone) special on Wednesday. Safina blew a 5-2 lead over Serena’s older sister on Tuesday, something that she simply cannot do against a Grand Slam champion. She will have an opportunity to redeem herself, though, by playing a potentially rusty Serena Williams.

Serena disappeared after the US Open, only surfacing to play—and lose—one match in Stuttgart. We already know that the conditions in Doha are physically taxing and if Serena is lagging at all on Wednesday, watch for Safina to gain the upper hand.
Dinara Safina in 3 sets

More Doha Information:

Wednesday’s Start Time and Match Order of Play

Sony Ericsson Championships Main Draw

Television Listings for ESPN2 and Tennis Channel

The three women easily advanced to their second round robin matches with straight set victories on Tuesday.

Zvonareva was the first player to score a win at the 2008 Sony Ericsson Championships. She handily defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-2, 6-3 in the first round robin match at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex.

World number one Jelena Jankovic also cruised to a solid 6-3, 6-4 win against her countrywoman Ana Ivanovic later in the day. 2008 Wimbledon champion Venus Williams launched her Championship campaign by beating Dinara Safina 7-5, 6-3.

Safina raced to an early 5-2 lead in the opening set, but Venus found her rhythm and stormed back to take the match after one hour and forty-four minutes of play.

Despite the straightforward scoreboards, all the women were forced to battle another opponenr—the desert winds of Qatar.

“It was a very, very tough match, especially with such conditions,” said Zvonareva after beating Kuznetsova. “It’s so windy today, and we’ve been playing indoors the past two months.”

This is Zvonareva’s second appearance at the season-ending tournament. In 2004 she qualified to compete in Los Angeles, but lost all three of her round robin matches.

The exhausting conditions played a role in the outcome of the day’s second match between Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic.

While serving to stay alive in the second set at 5-3, Ivanovic, looking visibly distressed, stopped play and requested a Tour trainer. After a brief medical consultation, Ivanovic continued playing and won the game.

Jankovic then easily closed out the match in her next service game on her first match point.

White Group Round Robin Standings

Last Update: November 7, 2008 at 4:41 pm ET

Maroon Group Round Robin Standings

Last Update: November 7, 2008 at 4:42 pm ET

Round robin action at the 2008 Sony Ericsson Championships officially begins on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar.

Only eight of the world’s best tennis players qualified to compete at the prestigious season-ending tournament.

The format at the Championships is different from other regular season events. During the first four days of competition, each player competes against the other three players in their group, with the Top 2 in each pool of four moving on to the semifinals.

WHITE GROUP (Number denotes seeding)
1. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)
4. Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
6. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)
8. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)

MAROON GROUP (Number denotes seeding)
2. Dinara Safina (RUS)
3. Serena Williams (USA)
5. Elena Dementieva (RUS)
7. Venus Williams (USA)

Aaress’ Picks for Day One

Svetlana Kuznetsova vs. Vera Zvonareva
This will be a battle between two very nervy Russians. No one doubts Svetlana Kuznetsova’s talent, but so far the only thing that stands out about her 2008 season is her shoddy performances in finals. The 2004 US Open champion has lost ten of her last eleven final matches, including five in 2008. She recently split from her long-time coach Stefan Ortega and is now working with Olga Morozova. Ironically, Kuznetsova is the only singles player at the tournament, including the two alternates, who has not won a title in 2008.

Given the depth of the field, every round robin match at the Championships feels like a final, even a match against Vera Zvonareva. After a few rough seasons, Zvonareva has finally managed to pull herself back into the top 10. She still struggles with consistency, but if she can conquer her nerves this week, Zvonareva might be able to shake up a few players in her group.
Vera Zvonareva in 2 sets

Jelena Jankovic vs. Ana Ivanovic
World number one Jelena Jankovic’s first match at the Championships should live up to its expectations. Jankovic and Ivanovic have a long history of close matches and now that Ivanovic has recovered from her post-French Open slump, she should be able to test her older countrywoman.

Statistically, the head-to-head favors Ivanovic, who has beaten Jankovic six out of seven times. But Jankovic is rested after two weeks off—and ready to prove that she can beat anyone in the draw, especially the Grand Slam winners who denied her a major title in 2008.
Jelena Jankovic in 3 sets

Dinara Safina vs. Venus Williams
Dinara Safina is debuting at the season-ending Championships and will face a challenging opening match against Venus Williams. Venus’ 2008 season peaked at the best time of the year for the American, who handily won her fifth Wimbledon title in July. Safina does not have the experience of Williams, but should be able to handle her powerful groundstrokes on the windy outside courts of Doha.

Safina proved herself a masterful escape artist in tight matches this year, so expect this match to be a close one. Venus is fresh off her victory in Zurich, but she only had to defeat one player ranked inside the Top 15.
Venus Williams in 3 sets

More Doha Information:

Tuesday’s Start Time and Match Order of Play

Sony Ericsson Championships Main Draw

Television Listings for ESPN2 and Tennis Channel

The round robin draw for the 2008 season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, Qatar was announced on Sunday.

The eight singles competitors have been divided into two sections, the White group and the Maroon group. White and maroon are the colors represented in the Qatari flag.

World No. 1 Jelena Jankovic is in the White group, along with Ana Ivanovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Vera Zvonareva.

Dinara Safina will compete in the Maroon group, which also includes Elena Dementieva, Serena Williams, and Venus Williams.

WHITE GROUP (Number denotes seeding)
1. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)
4. Ana Ivanovic (SRB)
6. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS)
8. Vera Zvonareva (RUS)

MAROON GROUP (Number denotes seeding)
2. Dinara Safina (RUS)
3. Serena Williams (USA)
5. Elena Dementieva (RUS)
7. Venus Williams (USA)

During the first four days of competition, each player competes against the other three players in their group, with the Top 2 in each pool of four moving on to the semifinals. The first-placed player in the White Group will play the second-placed player in the Maroon Group in the semifinals, and vice versa. The winners of each semifinal will then meet in the championship match.

Because of the round robin format, two alternates will be in Doha in the event of a player withdrawal. This year’s first alternate is Agnieszka Radwanska, followed by second alternate Nadia Petrova.

The doubles event at the Sony Ericsson Championships, which features four teams, is a single elimination draw, beginning with the semifinal round.

Please visit the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour website for an updated copy of the draw throughout the tournament.

Check back at On the Baseline on Monday for an analysis of the singles round robin draw and the launch of our Pick the Winners contest!

The biggest names in women’s tennis have started to arrive in Doha for next week’s Sony Ericsson Championships.

The season-ending championships will feature Jelena Jankovic, Dinara Safina, Serena Williams, Elena Dementieva, Ana Ivanovic, Vera Zvonareva, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Venus Williams.

Elena Dementieva, last of the four Russian players to arrive for the tournament, landed at the Doha International Airport this evening.

Dinara Safina and Svetlana Kuznetsova traveled to Qatar earlier this week and have already been practicing at the newly renovated Khalifa International Tennis Complex. Vera Zvonareva also landed earlier in the afternoon on Friday.

The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour’s No. 1 player, Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic, is also in the city and has been working hard at the courts. Jankovic’s countrywoman Ana Ivanovic and Venus and Serena Williams are due to arrive in Doha soon.

The Sony Ericsson Championships Doha 2008 is the biggest tennis event ever held in the Middle East, and will take place from November 4th through the 9th at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex. For more information, please visit www.sonyericsson-championships.com.

Russia’s highest ranked player was concerned that under the new Roadmap plan, she could be deemed ineligible to compete in Moscow’s Kremlin Cup.

The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour cleared up the issue by confirming that according to the new rules, the Kremlin Cup will have an unlimited field of top players.

“Dinara was misinformed when she stated that the Kremlin Cup in Moscow was going to have a limited player commitment in 2009,” said Sony Ericsson WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott in comments reported by the AFP.

“It is in fact one of five tournaments which falls the week immediately before a Grand Slam or the Sony Ericsson Championships that will have unlimited player commitment, meaning any number of top 10 players can play the event. We have since spoken with Dinara and clarified this detail.”

Safina was mistakenly under the impression that only a limited number of top ten players would be allowed to compete.

“I was given the wrong information and now understand that the Kremlin Cup in Moscow can receive an unlimited number of top players,” said Safina.

“I support the direction the Tour is taking - especially as it relates to steps taken to create a healthier calendar for top players - though I of course want to wait and see how the Roadmap develops before coming to final opinions on the many reforms that will part of the new system.”

“I do hope that I and other top players will have an opportunity to sit with the Tour leadership in the coming weeks to discuss certain elements of the Roadmap where I think there is still room for improvement.”

The best tennis players in the world will converge next month in Doha at the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships.

The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour’s All-Access Media Hour gives local journalists a candid opportunity to sit down with the biggest names in professional tennis.

Serena Williams, Dinara Safina, and Elena Dementieva were among the top players who spoke to the press at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Monday in Stuttgart.

Serena Williams about the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix’s main prize, the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet:
“I’ve been trying to get a Porsche for a long time now. It’s about time to win the 911.”

About her project to build a school in Africa:
“When I went out to Africa I fell in love with the place. And after all, my roots are from Africa. Building a school there is obviously very important to me. I’ve already been out to Senegal to see where we want to build the school and the country’s president is involved. I’ve no idea how many pupils the school will fit but it’s an exciting project.”

About her handbag collection:
“Like all women, I love bags and shoes and we can never have enough of them. I don’t buy so many now as it’s now cheaper to buy them in the US than in Paris or Rome. I don’t actually do anything with them, I just sort of collect them. Perhaps when I was remodelling my house I should have built a room to exhibit them like in a museum.”

Dinara Safina on her winning streak:
“I can’t complain about being the hottest player at the moment. I was in a deep hole and didn’t know how to get out. I wasn’t enjoying my tennis. It wasn’t that I’d lost my love for the game but I was thinking, ‘why do I have to suffer so much’. Everything was a disaster. Something changed in Berlin. I’m not quite sure what but I somehow had a different mentality. Before I wanted something so badly but then just started letting myself play and I surprised myself. I listened to my coach and finally tried to do what he told me. It’s important to control one’s emotions and not get upset. I’m patient now and it has all started to pay off. In crucial moments I now know I can get through them because I’ve experienced the worst moments and have survived.”

About what she will do with the Porsche if she wins the tournament:
“I once said to my coach, I would give him a sports car if I won a Grand Slam. If I win here, I promise to give him the Porsche. He’s always believed in me even in the difficult times.”

Elena Dementieva on her future career goals:
“The next item on my list is to become the world No. 1. And there’s also still lots of great tournaments I’d like to win. The Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is definitely one of them.”

About qualifying for the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships:
“It’s a great feeling to have qualified for the Championships. A fantastic recognition of my performances in 2008. It’s obviously my aim every year to play the Championships. Unfortunately it didn’t happen last year, so I’m all the more excited to be playing in Doha.”

For more information about the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, please visit www.porsche-tennis.de.

Not only is a magnificent Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Cabrio on the line at the Tier II tournament, but also the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour No. 1 ranking.

Current world No. 1 Serena Williams is scheduled to headline the event and is competing for the first time since she won the US Open.

Williams returns to action just in time as Sunday’s China Open champion Jelena Jankovic has crept up to within twenty-one points of her on the rankings. Although Jankovic would enjoy a new Porsche in her garage, recapturing the top spot would only help make the victory—and car—more enjoyable.

In total, eight members of the current Top 10 are scheduled to play at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.

Williams leads the stellar field as the top seed, followed by Jankovic, Tokyo winner Dinara Safina, Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, Vera Zvonareva, and Agnieszka Radwanska. Serena and Venus are on opposite sides of the draw and could only meet in the championship match.

For more information about Stuttgart or to view the main draw, please visit www.porsche-tennis.de.

The 2008 US Open women’s semifinals will take center stage on Friday in Flushing Meadows.

Jelena Jankovic, Serena Williams, Elena Dementieva, and Dinara Safina will vie for two coveted berths in Saturday’s championship match.

Aaress’ Picks for Friday

Elena Dementieva (RUS)[5] v. Jelena Jankovic (SRB)[2]
It’s down to the final four at the US Open and not only is a major title on the line, but also the No. 1 ranking. One of the quartet could walk away with the trophy, while another could potentially steal away the top spot. Or, one superheroine can walk away with the package deal.

Both of the semifinals will be hard-fought, but this one is the toughest to call. Elena Dementieva has had a marvelous summer, but so has Jankovic.

This one will come down to who can deal with the pressure the best. Jankovic needs to reach a Grand Slam final to receive a validation stamp on her 2008 season, while Dementieva knows that the clock is ticking on her chances of winning her first Grand Slam. At nearly twenty-seven, Dementieva is well aware that time could quickly run out.
Elena Dementieva in three sets

Dinara Safina (RUS)[6] v. Serena Williams (USA)[4]
While I was watching Serena vs. Venus on Wednesday, the thought crossed my mind of how good it is to see Serena wholly committed to the sport. Memories of last year’s Australian Open started to return, and although Serena has had less drama this year in Flushing Meadows, we clearly know that her trip to NYC will be a failure in her own mind if she does not leave with the trophy under her arm.

Dinara Safina is a tricky customer, especially as she has been blessed (or cursed) with the Safin unpredictability. Serena holds a 3-1 lead over Dinara in their previous meetings, and that one loss came on clay, which is arguably Serena’s worst surface. These two have only met at the US Open once in 2002, where Serena cruised with a 6-0, 6-1 victory. It will not be near as easy for Serena on Friday in the semifinals, especially if Safina brings her best game to the world’s biggest stage.
Serena Williams in three sets

Please go here to view the complete schedule of play for Friday.

She Said What?

Venus Williams about her future singles and doubles plans with Serena:
“For the record, I’m aiming for the 2016 Olympics. We’ll be playing doubles. I’ll be here for a long time still grinding and earning titles and making life hard for anyone and everyone.

What Else is Happening in Flushing Meadows?

Inclement Weather Advisory
Tropical Storm Hanna might affect the women’s final on Saturday.

Paes and Black win U.S. Open mixed doubles title
India’s Leander Paes and Zimbabwe’s Cara Black won the mixed doubles title on Thursday.

USA Television Schedule for Friday

All times are Eastern.

Men’s Doubles Final/Women’s SF - CBS - 12:30 pm - 6:00 pm

Don’t forget to enter On the Baseline’s Pick the Winner’s contest! The entry deadline for Friday’s featured match is 10:00 am ET.