Serena crowned no.1 as duel goes flat

The anticipated duel in the desert for the world number one spot fell flat at the WTA Championships yesterday when Dinara Safina’s withdrawal because of a back injury gifted the prize to Serena Williams.

The elite year-ending tournament featuring the top eight women in the world was billed as a showdown with Safina arriving in the desert state just ahead on ranking points.

Serena opened her round-robin matches in Maroon Group with victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova on Tuesday, taking her back in front of Safina who lasted just two games yesterday against Jelena Jankovic before tearfully throwing in the towel.

“My body just gave up,” the ­ 23-year-old Safina told reporters after her hopes of becoming the first Russian to finish a year as world no.1 ended.

“I did everything possible to play here. I went yesterday to put injections, cortisone, but I could not handle this pain any more.”

It was a sad end to the season for Safina, who spent 25 weeks at the top of the rankings but whose lack of grand slam titles left many ­questioning her suitability for no.1 spot.

“I think I should have taken a break after the US Open but I was chasing this number one, so I was fighting with my body. God knows? Maybe I had to stop after the US Open.”

The withdrawal of Safina, who will be replaced by compatriot Vera Zvonareva in White Group, has left a void in the tournament that has already been struggling to attract fans to the Khalifa Tennis Centre.

Results: Wozniacki bt Azarenka ­ 1-6 6-4 7-5; S. Williams bt V. Williams 5-7 6-4 7-6.