Women to watch at the U.S. Open

By: JournalNow Staff | THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: August 30, 2009

Dinara Safina

Basics: No. 1 seed, age 23, Russian

2009: 52-12 record, 3 singles titles

Career: 12 singles titles, no majors

Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2008-lost in semis, 2007-lost in 4th round, 2006-QF, 2005-1st, 2004-1st

Topspin: Runner-up at three of the past six Grand Slam tournaments…. One of four Russians seeded in top seven at U.S. Open.... Lost 6-1, 6-0 in Wimbledon semifinals to Venus Williams.

Serena Williams

Basics: No. 2 seed, age 27, American

2009: 38-10 record, 2 singles titles

Career: 34 singles titles, 11 major titles including 1999, 2002, 2008 U.S. Open

Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2008-champion, 2007-QF, 2006-4th, 2005-4th, 2004-QF

Topspin: Has won three of the past four Grand Slam tournaments to re-establish herself as the best women's player in tennis today.... Could face sister Venus in semis.... Hasn't looked particularly good during hard-court tune-ups, going 6-3 and beating only one player ranked better than 33rd, but both of her titles this season came at majors (Australian Open, Wimbledon).

Venus Williams

Basics: No. 3 seed, age 29, American

2009: 32-10 record, 2 singles titles

Career: 41 singles titles, 7 major titles including 2000 and 2001 U.S. Open

Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2008-QF, 2007-SF, 2006-did not play, 2005-QF, 2004-4th

Topspin: Hasn't won a Grand Slam title outside of Wimbledon since 2001, when she won her second U.S. Open title…. Last made final at Flushing Meadows in 2002, when she lost to sister Serena.

Elena Dementieva (4)

Basics: No. 4 seed, age 27, Russian

2009: 50-13 record, 3 singles titles

Career: 14 singles titles, no majors

Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2008-SF, 2007-3rd, 2006-QF, 2005-SF, 2004-runner-up

Topspin: Semifinalist at three of the past four Grand Slam tournaments.... Dementieva and Safina most often tagged with label of best player without a Grand Slam championship.... Beat Maria Sharapova in final at Toronto last weekend for hard-court tune-up title.

Jelena Jankovic

Basics: No. 5 seed, age 24, Serbian

2009: 37-13 record, 2 singles titles

Career: 11 singles titles, no majors

Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2008-runner-up, 2007-QF, 2006-SF, 2005-3rd, 2004-2nd

Topspin: Down year for her at the majors, with losses in 3rd round at Wimbledon and 4th round at French and Australian opens…. Among the tour's top serve-returners and retrievers.

Svetlana Kuznetsova

Basics: No. 6 seed, age 24, Russian

2009: 33-12 record, 2 singles titles

Career: 11 singles titles, 2 major titles including 2004 U.S. Open

Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2008-3rd, 2007-runner-up, 2006-4th, 2005-champion, 2004-W

Topspin: Won second career Grand Slam championship by beating Safina in French Open final.... Ranks sixth on tour this season in percentage of service games won (73.3), second in percentage of second-serve points won (50.5).

Maria Sharapova (29)

Basics: No. 29 seed, age 22, Russian

2009: 22-7 record, no singles titles

Career: 19 singles titles, 3 major titles including 2006 U.S. Open

Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2008-DNP, 2007-3rd, 2006-champion, 2005-SF, 2004-3rd

Topspin: Loss to Dementieva in Toronto represented first tournament final since Sharapova returned to tour after missing nearly 10 months with a right-shoulder injury.... Recently regained Top-30 ranking…. Had shoulder surgery in October.

Kim Clijsters (Unseeded; Unranked)

Basics: Unseeded, age 26, Belgian

2009: 5-2 record, no singles titles

Career: 34 singles titles, 1 major title -- 2005 U.S. Open

Last 5 U.S. Opens: 2008-DNP, 2007-DNP, 2006-DNP, 2005-W, 2004-DNP

Topspin: Recently came out of retirement; was away from game for two years, during which she got married and had a daughter.... Made big comeback in two hard-court tune-ups, with victories over Kuznetsova, 2007 Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli, and Victoria Azarenka, the No. 8 seed at the U.S. Open.