Tennis News

With two high seeded players defeated in October 2009, Jelena Jankovic has secured a final spot in the eight woman field for the 2009 Woman’s Tennis Association tour championships. Jankovic had a great 2008 season but this year failed to compete for the top spot, citing the fact that she had a rough off season. She will be competing against two of the top five female players in the world, Dinara Safina and Serena Williams.

Serena Williams is an American tennis player and currently is ranked number one in the pro circuit. She has been ranked number one on four separate occasions by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). She has won more Grand Slam titles than any other female athlete in history. She is the younger sister of Venus Williams and has a one match lead on her sister in head to head play.

On September 15, 2009, she was fined $10,500 for her U.S. open tirade against an official. She yelled abusive and threatening language at the official. As a result she was penalized against unseeded Kim Cliisters, who eventually won the match. The fine was the maximum possible fine pending an official investigation.

The stakes may not be as high, but old rivals Pete Sampas and Andre Agassi will renew their rivalry in the Southern Chinese gambling enclave Macao on October 25, 2009. Both players have been brushing up on their skills. Sampras played in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) senior’s tour last year, while Agassi made a one time appearance at a senior event in Arizona. The two have won 22 Grand Slams between them, 8 for Agassi and 14 for Sampras. The two played 34 times over a 13 year period.