Three-way race for No. 1 at
season-ending WTA Championships
By PAUL LOGOTHETIS,
Associated Press Writer
November 6, 2006
MADRID, Spain (AP) -- A three-way race for the No. 1 ranking in women's tennis
comes down to the WTA Championships -- and it could all be decided by a single
point.
Defending champion Amelie Mauresmo, past winner Maria Sharapova and
third-ranked Justine Henin-Hardenne enter the season-ending tournament within
74 points of each other, making it the tightest race in the WTA Tour's
history.
"I figure if I keep winning my matches, the ranking will take care of itself,"
Sharapova said Monday. "I don't set any goals. I just go with the flow of
things and live life by the day."
The 19-year-old Russian won the tournament two years ago, a few months after
winning Wimbledon for her first Grand Slam title. Sharapova has won five
titles this season, including the U.S. Open for her second Grand Slam
championship. She won last month at Linz, Austria, for her third straight
tournament victory.
"This has been one of the best years for me. Being consistent throughout the
year has been great," Sharapova said. "The championships are going to be
interesting. You've got different personalities and different playing styles
competing out there."
Nadia Petrova, Martina Hingis, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Kim Clijsters and Elena
Dementieva are also competing in the eight-player finale, which begins Tuesday
on indoor hardourts at the Madrid Arena. The winner will earn $1 million.
There are no Americans in the field for the time in the tournament's 34-year
history.
"It's very surprising," said Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, the tournament
ambassador. "Russian and European tennis is much stronger at the moment, but
it's hard to explain why these groups are coming out and winning more
tournaments."
Los Angeles hosted the tournament the last four years.
"It's great being in Madrid because what was missing in Los Angeles was the
fans," two-time champion Clijsters said. "The stands were always empty."
The top-ranked Mauresmo faces the toughest test to finish at No. 1, especially
since she hasn't played since withdrawing last month from the Zurich Open with
a sore shoulder.
The Frenchwoman beat Mary Pierce in last year's final, but she would need to
retain her title, Henin-Hardenne must finish last in their group and Sharapova
must be eliminated before the final.
That would leave Mauresmo, the Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, one
point ahead of Henin-Hardenne.
"Once I got injured, the fight to be No. 1 really came out of my mind because
I knew it would be difficult," Mauresmo said. "Mentally I'm fresher, but my
main concern is to stay fit in this tournament and be able to do my best
throughout and stay in good condition to win it."
Henin-Hardenne holds the advantage, knowing that if she finishes higher than
third in her group and Sharapova fails to reach the final, the No. 1 spot is
hers.
She'll clinch the top spot by reaching the final.
"I'm just happy to be here. I'm not here to be No. 1 again," Henin-Hardenne
said. "One of main goals of this season was to stay healthy. I still don't
know what to expect. It was only a few days ago I felt ready to go."
The 24-year-old Belgian hasn't played since the doubles of the Fed Cup final
against Italy in September, when she tore a muscle in her right knee. Injuries
also forced the French Open champion to miss the past two WTA championships.
"My body is not the same and I accept that," Henin-Hardenne said. "Normally I
would stop training for six weeks but I made it four weeks this time because
of the championships. So far, it feels good and I couldn't do more than what I
have done."
Mauresmo opens Tuesday against Petrova, while Henin-Hardenne plays Hingis in
Group A of the round-robin format that will decide the four semifinalists.
In Group B, Sharapova takes on Dementieva, and Clijsters faces Kuznetsova.
