Sony Ericsson Race Update: September 18, 2006

Following last week’s qualification of Maria Sharapova (RUS), the next singles qualifier for the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships may also be Russian. World No.5 Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) picked up 145 points by winning the Tier III Wismilak International in Bali, Indonesia on Sunday. Currently in 4th place in the Race to the Sony Ericsson Championships (behind qualifiers Justine Henin-Hardenne, Amélie Mauresmo and Sharapova), the 2006 NASDAQ-100 Open champion and Roland Garros runner-up will look to gather even more points this week in Beijing, where she is the No.2 seed (behind Mauresmo) at the Tier II China Open.

Following Kuznetsova in the singles Race standings are Kim Clijsters (BEL), Martina Hingis (SUI), Elena Dementieva (RUS) and Nadia Petrova (RUS). The only positional change in this week’s Race Top 15 (with only the Bali tournament held last week, alongside the Fed Cup final) saw Patty Schnyder (SUI) take back 9th place from Dinara Safina (RUS), following a semifinal finish in Bali. Schnyder closed the gap on 8th-placed Petrova to 157 points, although that margin may widen once again as Petrova contests the China Open while Schnyder takes the week off as she prepares for the indoor season.

None of the Top 10 teams in the doubles Race to the Sony Ericsson Championships were in action last week, but dynamic duo Yan Zi (CHN) and Zheng Jie (CHN) have a big week ahead of them as they look to secure their spot in Madrid. The reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champions are top-seeded in their home event, the China Open. In 2nd place behind Lisa Raymond (USA) and Samantha Stosur (AUS) – who were confirmed as the first doubles qualifiers late last week – and with a 942-point lead over 3rd-placed Cara Black (ZIM) and Rennae Stubbs (AUS), Yan and Zheng are all but assured the next berth; a strong showing in Beijing could very well book their tickets to the Spanish capital.

The Sony Ericsson Championships will gather the Top 8 singles players and Top 4 doubles teams from the regular 2006 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour season as they battle it out for the season-ending titles and a share of the $3-million prize purse. The defending champions are Mauresmo (singles) and Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur (doubles). The Sony Ericsson Championships will be played for the first time at Madrid Arena, November 7-12, 2006.

RACE TO THE SONY ERICSSON CHAMPIONSHIPS
As of September 18, 2006
SINGLES
(previous position in parentheses | ** indicates players already qualified)
1. (1) Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL) 3473**
2. (2) Amélie Mauresmo (FRA) 2735**
3. (3) Maria Sharapova (RUS) 2727**
4. (4) Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 2238
5. (5) Kim Clijsters (BEL) 1860
6. (6) Martina Hingis (SUI) 1719
7. (7) Elena Dementieva (RUS) 1704
8. (8) Nadia Petrova (RUS) 1549
9. (10) Patty Schnyder (SUI) 1392
10. (9) Dinara Safina (RUS) 1363
11. (11) Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) 1168
12. (12) Anastasia Myskina (RUS) 1000
13. (13) Ana Ivanovic (SCG) 975
14. (14) Jelena Jankovic (SCG) 971
15. (15) Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) 898

DOUBLES
(previous position in parentheses | ** indicates teams already qualified)
1. (1) Lisa Raymond / Samantha Stosur (USA/AUS) 3448 **
2. (2) Yan Zi / Zheng Jie (CHN/CHN) 2946
3. (3) Cara Black / Rennae Stubbs (ZIM/AUS) 2004
4. (4) Daniela Hantuchova / Ai Sugiyama (SVK/JPN) 1746
5. (5) Virginia Ruano Pascual / Paola Suarez (ESP/ARG) 1429
6. (6) Kveta Peschke / Francesca Schiavone (CZE/ITA) 1403
7. (7) Eleni Daniilidou / Anabel Medina Garrigues (GRE/ESP) 1010
8. (8) Meghann Shaughnessy / Anna-Lena Groenefeld (USA/GER) 975
9. (9) Dinara Safina / Katarina Srebotnik (RUS/SLO) 957
10. (10) Natalie Dechy / Vera Zvonareva (FRA/RUS) 917