Top Twenty WTA Rankings released, Caroline Wozniacki retains top spot
The Women’s Tennis Association recently released new rankings for the first time after the Australian Open. Given the considerable number of surprising wins and losses, complete changes in the ranking lists were only to be expected.
World Number 1 Caroline “Sunshine” Wozniacki has stayed on top with 8655 ranking points, despite a crushing semi-final defeat at the hands of Chinese tennis pro Li Na. The new World Number 2 is Belgian tennis supermom Kim Clijsters, who won the 2011 Australian
Open. Clijsters, previously ranked Number 3, now has 8515 points. Meanwhile, Russian Vera Zvonareva fell from Number 2 to Number 3, with 7405 ranking points.
Previously World Number 7, French Open champion Francesca Schiavone has jumped three spots to become the new World Number 4 with 5055 points. This is after her quarterfinal showing with Wozniacki. Australian player Samantha Stosur has also moved one spot
up the rankings, becoming World Number 5. Her 2011 Australian Open run ended in the third round against Czech pro Petra Kvitova.
Venus Williams has dropped from World Number 5 to Number 6, as a result of the pelvic muscle trouble she experienced during her third round match against Andrea Petkovic. The 2011 Australian Open was first time Williams was forced to drop out of a Grand
Slam match due to injury. She currently has 4645 ranking points.
Li Na, formerly World Number 11, is now World Number 7. Her remarkable Australian Open run, which led her to the title match against Clijsters, has resulted in a career-high ranking. Li Na has 4450 ranking points. Serbian pro Jelena Jankovic has stayed at
the Number 8 spot, with 4385 points. World Number 9 Belarusian Victoria Azarenka has also retained her place on the charts with 3935 points. The new World Number 10 is Agnieszka Radwanska, from Poland. She was previously at Number 14. Israel’s Shahar Peer
is currently World Number 11, moving up from Number 12 with 3225 points.
Former World Number 1 Serena Williams now has 3035 points, and has fallen from World Number 4 to World Number 12. After her victory at Wimbledon in 2010, the American tennis player has dropped out of all other tournaments due to an injured foot. Another
former World Number 1, Maria Sharapova, has gained three spots to become World Number 13 with 2936 points.
Russian tennis pro Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is now World Number 14, improving on her last spot at Number 18. She now has 2645 ranking points. Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli has also improved, rising two spots from Number 17 to World Number 15 with 2595 points.
Italian pro Flavia Pennetta has made a significant leap in rankings, going from World Number 25 to World Number 16. Estonian Kaia Kanepi has jumped from Number 21 to Number 16. Czech player Petra Kvitova (who defeated Australian favourite Stosur) has jumped
ten spots to become World Number 18.
Serbian and former World Number 1 Ana Ivanovic is the new World Number 19, coming up from her previous Number 20 spot. One of the few players to have fallen in the rankings this week is the new Number 20 Nadia Petrova, who was previously World Number 15.
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