Clijsters Regains World Number One Spot

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This year’s Australian Open champion was assured the top spot after a quarter final win against Jelena Dokić on Friday (February 11) at the Paris indoor tournament.

She hit the top spot again, five years after last holding it, despite losing to Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, 6-4, 6-3 in the final of the 2011 Open GDF Suez on Sunday.

Clijsters, a four-time Grand Slam winner, has 8,835 points, with Wozniacki on 8,655 and Vera Zvonareva of Russia on 7,255.

Clijsters topped the rankings in 2003 and again in 2006. However, she quit tennis a year later to have a child, born in February 2008, and then returned to win the US Open in 2009 and 2010 and the Australian title last month.

Historically, her chief Belgian rival, Justine Henin, sadly announced that she was retiring from the game because of a recurring elbow injury while the Australian Open was being held this January.

WTA’s top 10 as of February 14
(previous rankings):

1. (2) Kim Clijsters, Belgium, 8,835 points
2. (1) Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark, 8,655
3. (3) Vera Zvonareva, Russia, 7,255
4. (4) Francesca Schiavone, Italy, 4,996
5. (5) Samantha Stosur, Australia, 4,862
6. (6) Venus Williams, United States, 4,645
7. (7) Li Na, China, 4,450
8. (8) Jelena Jankovic, Serbia, 4,385
9. (9) Victoria Azarenka, Belarus, 3,935
10. (10) Agnieszka Radwanska, Poland, 3,340