Shocks were conspicuous by their absence on the opening day of the US Open, with Venus Williams and defending champion Kim Clijsters among the seeds enjoying a comfortable passage into the second round at Flushing Meadows.

The withdrawal of Flavia Pennetta allowed US Open top seed Caroline Wozniacki to reach the last four of the Pilot Pen Tennis without playing in New Haven, Connecticut.

Elena Dementieva’s defence of her Rogers Cup title was ended in the third round by China’s Zheng Jie.

Former world number one Dinara Safina claimed back-to-back wins for the first time since the Australian Open in January to reach the third round of the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

Former world number one Dinara Safina claimed just a third win in her past 11 matches after beating first-round opponent Andrea Petkovic at the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

Third seed Elena Dementieva was a surprise loser in the second round of the Cincinnati Open yesterday, going down in straight sets to fellow Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Former world number one Ana Ivanovic fought from a set down to dump ninth seed Victoria Azarenka out of the Cincinnati Open on Monday night.

Former world number one Dinara Safina claimed a straight sets victory over Alona Bondarenko in the first round of the Mercury Insurance Open in San Diego last night.

Former world number one Dinara Safina suffered a shock first-round loss to Kimiko Date Krumm at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, United States.

DEFENDING champion Roger Federer will look to recover his form at the tournament where he feels most at home as Wimbledon begins in earnest today.

Former world number one Dinara Safina has withdrawn from Wimbledon with a back injury.

Rafael Nadal arrived in London this morning as the new world number one following his French Open triumph.

Andy Murray insists he will not underestimate Juan Ignacio Chela when the pair meet in the French Open second round this afternoon – despite dominating their last five meetings.

RAFAEL NADAL last night insisted he always plays badly in the first round of the French Open after a straight-sets success against plucky French teenager Gianni Mina.

Second seed Dinara Safina retired from her fourth-round match with Maria Kirilenko today due to injury.

Nadia Petrova claimed her second big-name scalp in as many rounds with an upset win over third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova at the Australian Open today.

REIGNING US Open champion Kim Clijsters had a day to forget as she crashed out of the Australian Open yesterday.

Second seed Dinara Safina took less than an hour to end British number one Elena Baltacha's run at the Australian Open.

Justine Henin today fought back from a set down to keep her Australian Open title quest going just a month after returning from retirement.

Former world number one Justine Henin has received a wild card to the Medibank International Sydney, tournament organisers announced today.

Dinara Safina was forced to withdraw from the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha with a back injury last night, leaving Serena Williams to end 2009 as the world's number one - a feat the American celebrated with a defeat of her sister Venus.

Dinara Safina has withdrawn from the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha with a back injury, leaving Serena Williams to end 2009 as the world’s number one.

Serena Williams will regain her world number one ranking after she beat Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova 6-3 6-2 in the second round of the China Open.

Dinara Safina looks set to lose her world number one ranking after a shock defeat by wild card Shuai Zhang in the second round of the China Open today.

World-ranked one and two Dinara Safina and Serena Williams have both advanced to the second round of the China Open.

Jelena Jankovic, the highest-ranked player left in the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, advanced to the semi-finals today with a 6-4 6-3 win over Marion Bartoli.

Jelena Jankovic remained on course to win a third title in 2009 as she made light work of Russian Elena Vesnina in Tokyo.

American teenager Melanie Oudin continued her giant-killing run at the US Open when she knocked out a third Russian seed in succession Nadia Petrova at Flushing Meadows.

Second seed Serena Williams bludgeoned her way into the US Open quarter-finals with a straight-sets destruction of Daniela Hantuchova.

World number one Dinara Safina joined former champion Maria Sharapova as a third round casualty on a day of shocks at the US Open.

RUSSIA’S Elena Dementieva and Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic became the first big name casualties at the US Open.

Top seed Dinara Safina came through another shaky match at the US Open to reach the third round with a win over Kristina Barrois.

Former champions Kim Clijsters and Venus Williams stayed on course for a last-16 showdown at Flushing Meadows after both coming through their US Open second-round ties.

TOP seed Dinara Safina survived a huge scare to beat Australian world number 167 Olivia Rogowska 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-4 and reach the US Open second round.

Former champion Kim Clijsters made a winning return to the US Open today after a three-year absence from Flushing Meadows.

ROGER FEDERER will go into next week’s US Open convinced he can continue what he called “the most amazing year” of his life.

Elena Dementieva stunned red-hot favourite and second seed Serena Williams today to set up a Rogers Cup final with fellow underdog Maria Sharapova.

Kim Clijsters made a winning return to the professional circuit today with a 6-4 6-3 success against Marion Bartoli of France at the Women's Open in Cincinnati.

Top seed Dinara Safina was dumped out of the WTA LA Women’s Tennis Championships by Zheng Jie last night.

SERENA WILLIAMS believes she will have “nothing to lose” when she takes on sister Venus in today’s Wimbledon final.

Serena Williams believes she will have “nothing to lose” when she takes on sister Venus in tomorrow’s Wimbledon final.

VENUS WILLIAMS ensured the Wimbledon final would be another family affair with a devastating performance against Russia’s Dinara Safina at SW19 yesterday.

Venus Williams ensured the Wimbledon final would be another family affair with a devastating performance against Russia’s Dinara Safina

ROGER FEDERER and Andy Murray stayed on course for a Wimbledon final clash with straight-sets victories in the quarter-finals yesterday.