TENNIS:DINARA SAFINA was forced to withdraw from the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha with a back injury yesterday, leaving Serena Williams to end 2009 as the world's number one – a feat the American celebrated with a defeat of her sister Venus.
The 23-year-old Russian was serving at 1-1 in the opening set against Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic when she had to retire.
Safina’s place at the Australian Open could now be in doubt due to the injury as she said she will have to take at least six weeks off from tennis. “I’ve been having pain since (winning) Portoroz (in July). I’ve been using anti-inflammatories to play with this pain for about three months,” she said.
The Russian was replaced in the tournament by compatriot Vera Zvonareva, who will play the remaining two White Group opponents Safina was supposed to play, beginning with Caroline Wozniacki today.
Serena defeated Venus 5-7 6-4 7-6 (7/4) in two hours and 41 minutes for her second win in two days after her defeat of Svetlana Kuznetsova on Tuesday. It was Venus’ second loss of the tournament, following her defeat by Elena Dementieva.
Also yesterday, Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki survived a long battle against her friend Victoria Azarenka to claim a 1-6 6-4 7-5 victory.
The two big movers up the rankings this year stood toe to toe for three hours at the Khalifa Tennis Centre before Azarenka went into meltdown late in the third set after squandering two match points in their White Group clash.
After a 10-minute heat break before the deciding set, enforced because of temperatures still hovering in the low 30s Celsius despite darkness having long fallen over the Qatari capital, Azarenka took command, moving into a 5-3 lead.
However, world number four Wozniacki broke back and then saved two match points to cling on to her own serve, prompting the Belarussian to smash two racket frames in frustration. Wozniacki then broke Azarenka’s serve again before serving out for victory.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s James McGee powered his way to the quarter-finals of the ITF Men’s Futures event in Cardiff yesterday with an emphatic 6-1 6-2 victory over Norway Davis Cup player Frederik Sletting-Johnsen.
However, unseeded Barry King made his exit against Britain’s Daniel Evans, 5-7 3-6.
Today, McGee takes on fellow unseeded player Marcus Willis of Britain, who caused a shock by dumping out Belarus’ Uladzimir Ignatik, 3-6 6-3 7-6 (8/6).
