Jankovic or Serena - No.1
September 7th 2008 23:03
Ever since former world No. 1 Justine Henin shocked the WTA Tour with the sudden announcement of her retirement on May 14, the fight for the top ranking has been an endless battle to see who can reign where Henin once dominated.
Unlike the ATP Tour, where Roger Federer held the No. 1 spot for four and a half years, not one player on the women’s tour has been able to emerge as a clear-cut dominant force.
For nearly four months now, three women have shuffled in and out of the No. 1 spot on four different occasions.
Maria Sharapova immediately assumed the coveted ranking on May 19 with Henin’s voluntary exit. Less than a month later, Ana Ivanovic secured No. 1 with a semifinal win at Roland Garros on June 9. She was then bumped by Serbian compatriot Jelena Jankovic for the week of Aug. 11 before Ivanovic resumed as No. 1 the following week.
Of the three women, Ivanovic has held the top ranking the longest since Henin’s retirement, but her second-round loss here at Flushing Meadows has also cost her the No. 1 rank. When the new rankings are released on Monday, yet another name will appear in the prime position.
This time, US Open finalists Jankovic, 23, and Serena Williams, 26, will vie for No. 1, and the winner of the championship title will simultaneously clinch the top spot.
Before the semifinal round of the US Open began, each of the four semifinalists, Williams, Jankovic, Dinara Safina and Elena Dementieva, were still in the running for claiming No. 1 by tournament’s end. Now, the battle comes down to the two US Open finalists.
Williams, who has had a successful 2008 season that included the Wimbledon runner-up title, said her goal isn’t necessarily to take the top ranking, she is more focused on a Grand Slam title, and with all of her hard work, she is confident that becoming No. 1 is surely in her future.
"Well, I mean, I'm here to stay,” Williams said.
"I've really been enjoying my time on the court and playing a lot. You know, No. 1 is not my goal right now. I know I'll get that eventually if I continue to play the tournaments.
"I just want to be able to win the Grand Slams, and, you know, play and stay healthy. And I think the ranking will definitely come."
Jankovic feels the same way. While regaining the No. 1 rank would be nice, she said, winning the championship at a Grand Slam that she holds near and dear to her heart is what she deems most important.
"Yeah, it would be nice to regain the No. 1 ranking, but I'm here playing the Grand Slam, and my goal is to win a Grand Slam,” she said.
"That's what I'm really focusing on, and I'm here to play really one match at a time, really go out there and really try my best, try to fight until the end and just, you know, do whatever it takes to win all these matches.
"Mentally, I feel I'm a lot stronger, because I really believe in myself. I really want to do this, and I think it's about time for me to make that step forward to break that barrier and go a long way."
With more than just the trophy on the line Sunday, the pressure will be on for both women. And with the end of the season fast approaching, clinching the year-end No. 1 rank will also be a motivating factor.
For now, Jankovic and Williams will settle the contest in Sunday night's final, but only one will wake up Monday morning sitting at the top of the WTA Tour.
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