World number one Caroline Wozniacki has been handed a relatively kind draw for the end-of-season WTA Championships, which start on Tuesday in Doha.The eight-strong field is divided into two groups, with the Dane in the Maroon Group alongside Francesca Schiavone, Sam Stosur and Elena Dementieva.Second seed Vera Zvonareva will take on Kim Clijsters, Jelena Jankovic and Victoria Azarenka in the White Group.World number three Serena Williams and sister Venus are absent through injury.Wozniacki is the youngest player in the draw at 20 and is in excellent form, having won four of her last five tournaments, but defeat by Zvonareva in the US Open semi-finals left her still looking for a first Grand Slam title.
Zvonareva, who could overtake Wozniacki for the year-end world number one ranking in Doha, lost to Clijsters in the US Open final but the Belgian – a two-time Tour Championships winner – has not played since New York because of a foot problem.Both Jankovic and Dementieva had fitness scares last week and Azarenka arrives in Doha as the form player after victory at the Moscow Cup on Sunday.Wozniacki will start favourite in the Maroon Group against tournament debutantes Schiavone and Stosur, and a potentially below-par Dementieva.
She must win two of her round-robin matches to end the year as world number one, although if Zvonareva loses a match the Dane would then only need to win one of hers.”I go into a tournament and I always want to win it,” said Wozniacki, who beat Zvonareva at her last tournament in the China Open final.”Of course, now I’m the player to beat. It’s just a nice feeling – it’s nice to know that I’ve done so good that I’m the number one player in the world. That’s a fantastic feeling.”Clijsters has not played since retaining her US Open title six weeks ago, having required surgery on her foot.
“The stitches were supposed to be in for 10 days and all should have been fine,” said the Belgian. “But because it got infected, I had to take the stitches out before the wound was closed, and it took longer to heal.”Azarenka could well be the dark horse but Clijsters will still be strongly fancied to take one of the two qualification places from the White Group having thrashed Zvonareva in the US Open final, while Jankovic has ended the season in poor form and ill health.”I have sinus problems,” said the 25-year-old Serb. “I was sick before I came to Moscow and I’m still not 100%. I’m not in the form I was in the first half of the season, but that’s due to a lot of injuries.
“I have to just try my best to adjust to this heat and the humidity, but I’ve been here in the past. I think whoever is going to be the fittest, whoever can survive in these kind of conditions, is going to do the best.”Zvonareva will open play on Tuesday against Jankovic, before Wozniacki takes on Dementieva and Schiavone then meets Stosur in a repeat of the French Open final.The doubles title will be contested by Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta, Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik, Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs, and Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova – Bcc
