Serena and Venus Williams will meet for the 23rd time Sunday in the Doha WTA finals.

Jankovic, who had a stellar 2008 season, this year failed to compete for the top spot, blaming a too-hard training regiment in the off-season.

Notes: Jankovic is the defending champ, beating Zvonareva in the 2008 final; (3) Radwanska opens against Kirilenko; 11 Russians in the draw excluding qualifiers; a $1 million “Premier”-level event (with none of the Top 6 players?).

Dinara Safina doesn’t have to worry anymore, Serena Williams is returning to the No. 1 ranking!

Maria Sharapova won her first title in 18 months in Tokyo after Jelena Jankovic retired late in the first set due to a wrist injury.

“During the match, I had confidence, and, I mean, I was right there with her the entire time,” said the 17-year-old Oudin, who repeatedly received treatment for a wrapped leg injury. “She wasn’t blowing me off the court. She wasn’t hitting winners left and right on me.”

3. Kim CLIJSTERS
Cincy comeback run makes her an instant US Open contender amidst weak women’s game.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in this sort of final,” she said. “I’m so thrilled to play this kind of match and beat the number one player in the world.”

The first year of Cincinnati’s new Premier 5 WTA event gets underway today.

“[I] was just thinking that she was any other player, and this was any other match, and I was at any other tournament — you know, not, like, on the biggest stage, at Wimbledon, playing my first Top 10 player,” Oudin said. “I mean, I go into every match the exact same, you know, like, no matter who I play. It’s not, like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I’m playing the No. 1 player in the world.’”