Skysports.com's Joe Drabble takes a look back at the last 12 months on the WTA Tour.
Joe Drabble takes a look back at the last 12 months on the WTA Tour
In what was another highly-competitive year on the WTA Tour, the battle for the number one ranking between Serena Williams and Dinara Safina kept tennis fans on their toes for the entire season.
The returning Kim Clijsters threatened to steal Serena's thunder with a sensational comeback win in New York and the season of 2010 promises to be something special after another former No.1 - Justine Henin - announced her return to the tour.
The four Grand Slams of the season were shared between three players, Serena reigning in Melbourne and London, Svetlana Kuznetsova prevailing in Paris and Clijsters achieving the unthinkable in New York.
Emerging talents Victoria Azarenka and Caroline Wozniacki also announced themselves as contenders for major honours with three titles in '09 - the latter reaching her first Grand Slam final at Flushing Meadows.
One player who will not be returning to the WTA Tour next season is Amelie Mauresmo, the former Australian Open and Wimbledon winner calling time on her career in December this year.
January - December 2009
Russian Elena Dementieva made a blistering start to the 2009 campaign by clinching her 12th and 13th Tour titles in the Australian Open warm-up events at Auckland and Sydney.
Her title victory in Sydney was even more impressive as she overcame both Serena Williams (semi-final) and then Safina in the final to scoop the title. Serena got her revenge at the Australian Open, defeating the Russian to set-up a final date with Safina, which she won emphatically 6-0 6-3.
Defending champion Maria Sharapova was unable to defend her title in Melbourne as she was still recovering from surgery on a shoulder injury.
Venus Williams claimed only two singles titles in 2009 - both of which came in February in Dubai and Acapulco respectively.
Vera Zvonareva saw off a strong field, which included the returning Sharapova, at Indian Wells, doubles partner Azarenka an equally impressive winner in Miami one week later.
The clay court season began in April as Jelena Jankovic scooped her 10th Tour title in Marbella. Promising Dane Wozniacki also revelled on the red stuff with a fourth career title at Ponte Vedra Beach and final appearance in Charlestone.
World number one Safina lost her third final in Stuttgart to in-form Kuznetsova. However the feisty Russian gained revenge on her compatriot in Rome and warmed up for the French Open with further success in Madrid.
Those back-to-back victories saw Safina head to Roland Garros seemingly destined to end her wait for Grand Slam glory, and she had little trouble progressing to the final.
However, as has been the story of her career to date, Safina failed to get over the finishing line, Kuznetsova dashing her dreams to claim her maiden French Open title with a 6-4 6-2 success.
Attention then turned to the grass courts as the players departed to England and Holland for their respective warm-up events ahead of Wimbledon. Wozniacki stepped up to land her second title of the year at Queen's - a victory which saw her seeded ninth for Wimbledon.
All eyes were once again on the Williams sisters at the All England Club - Serena vying for title number three and Venus searching for a remarkable sixth. And perhaps predictably, the pair clashed in the 123rd Wimbledon final.
Venus had produced the more destructive tennis en route to the final, however her younger sister proved too strong on the day - prevailing 7-6 6-2 in the final. The pair combined later the same day to win the doubles title for a fourth year.
The players returned to the clay in July - Flavia Pennetta (Palermo), Sybille Bammer (Prague) and Safina (Slovenia) all prevailing on the red stuff.
Across the pond in America, competition was as fierce as ever as the women searched for form ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year at Flushing Meadows. Jankovic (Cincinnati), Dementieva (Toronto) and Wozniacki (New Haven) all shared the warm-up events ahead of the New York showpiece.
There was also a familiar name back on court in Cincinnati, former world number one Kim Clijsters returning to the court and marking it with an impressive run to the quarter finals.
That was a sign of things to come for the Belgian who stormed to glory with a scintillating run at Flushing Meadows. The
20/1 outsider returned to somewhere near her best to claim her second US Open title and in the process became the first mother to win a Grand Slam for 29 years.
A rather quiet September finished with Sharapova winning her first Tour title for 17 months in Tokyo. After storming her way to the final, the Russian was handed victory when opponent Jankovic was forced to retire in the first set with an arm injury.
Despite winning two Grand Slams to Safina's none over the course of the season, Williams had to wait until October to claim the number one ranking.
Serena questioned the rankings system as Safina found herself on top of the pile for the majority of the campaign despite failing to win a single Grand Slam.
However Williams settled the argument in November with victory at the season-ending WTA Tour Championship in Doha.
SKYSPORTS.COM 2009 AWARDS
Player of the year - Caroline Wozniacki
I can see the Serena Williams spluttering their coffee all over the computer as they read this, however Wozniacki gets my vote. The 19-year-old from Odense, Denmark reached eight finals in 2009 - more than any other player - winning three and losing five. Her three titles came on three different surfaces (Florida, Eastbourne & New Haven), and a breakthrough season was capped off with a maiden Grand Slam final appearance in New York.
Rising star - Heather Watson
Guernsey-born 17-year-old Watson became the first British winner of the US Open girls' event in September, and the promising right-hander looks destined for success at the highest level. With Laura Robson also making significant strides, the future looks bright for British tennis.
Most improved - Yanina Wickmayer
Born and bred in Belgium, seemingly a hotbed of talent for female tennis players, Wickmayer has leapt from a world ranked 221 to No.16 in the last two years. She capped a consistent 2009 campaign with title joy at Estoril and Linz and a semi-final appearance at Flushing Meadows.
Comeback - Maria Sharapova
A nasty shoulder injury virtually ruled the Russian beauty out of action until the French Open in May. As a result of her inactivity, Sharapova slipped out of the top 100 for the first time in six years. Eager to return to winning ways, the 22-year-old responded with title joy in Tokyo before finishing the year ranked 14th.
Best performance - Kim Clijsters at US Open
After two years in the wilderness, Clijsters spectacularly re-announced herself on the WTA Tour with a breathtaking run at Flushing Meadows. Victories over Venus and then Serena Williams saw the wildcard power into the final, which she won in style with a straight-sets demolition of Wozniacki.
Match of the year - Oudin v Sharapova, US Open third round
American teenage sensation Melanie Oudin set the US Open alight with a barnstorming run at Flushing Meadows. Victories over Dementieva, Sharapova and Petrova saw the plucky youngster become the youngest American since Serena Williams in 2009 to reach the US Open quarter-finals. The comeback queen battled back from one-set down in every match, however the 3-6 6-4 7-5 victory over Sharapova was a classic.
Low point - Serena's strop
The only blemish in another year to remember for Serena was her raging outburst at a line judge during her US Open semi-final defeat to Clijsters. Trailing 5-6, 15-30 in the final set, a line judge called a foot fault on Serena, who lost her temper as a result. Her intimidating verbal assault on the line judge resulted in a penalty point, and gifted the Belgian the match. Serena was later handed a record fine for her rant.
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