Russia’s Vera Zvonareva signs autographs for youngsters at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha yesterday. The Russian player participated in Qatar Tennis Federation’s (QTF) Kids Clinic where she played and interacted with the kids. She later signed autographs for the enthusiastic youngsters. Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska was also involved in the Kids Clinic in a separate session.

DOHA: Dinara Safina and Serena Williams will battle to grab the coveted year-end number one ranking when Sony Ericsson Championships get under way today at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex.

The Russian reclaimed the top spot yesterday from the American, who held the position only for two weeks.

With just 155 points separating the world’s top two players in the latest rankings, Serena can edge Safina if she does better than the current No. 1 here in Qatar’s capital where top-eight women are contesting for a total prize money of $4.55m.

There are plenty of points on offer even for wins in round-robin matches of this Season-Ending event.

The players are divided into two groups (Maroon and White).

“I don’t want to think about this (finishing as number one) right now. I just want to focus on my game and it is all about winning matches,” the 23-year-old Safina said yesterday.

“It would be awesome and really cool,” felt Serena, who is aiming to end the year as number one for the first time since 2002.

The top-eight women have assembled in Doha for this elite tournament and there is much at stake for the other six players in the field besides $1.55m to be handed over to the winner on November 1.

Serena’s sister Venus Williams, the defending champion, Russian duo Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova, event’s debutantes Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka and Serbian Jelena Jankovic complete the line-up.

Safina scaled to the top of world rankings in April this year and has won three WTA Tour titles in 2009 besides being runner-up in two Grand Slams (Australian Open and French Open). However, she is yet to capture a major.

The American superstar, who won Australian Open and Wimbledon titles this year to take her Grand Slam success tally to 11, had criticised WTA’s ranking system by saying “if you hold three Grand Slam titles, maybe you should be No. 1” during this year’s Wimbledon.

Consistency has brought Safina to the top as the Russian boasts of a win-loss record of 55-15 this year.

After beginning her 26th week at the top yesterday, Safina hit back at her critics.

“I don’t care anymore. They can say whatever they want. Call them to make a ranking system how they want to make it,” she said.

Serena and Safina have clashed seven times and the former has dominated the exchanges leading 6-1 including a 59-minute drubbing in the Australian Open 2009 final where the Russian could manage to take only three games. To add to that, Venus too annihilated her 6-1, 6-0 in Wimbledon 2009 semi-final.

She also lost to a player ranked 226th, Zhang Shuai of China earlier this month at the China Open to slip off the top ranking and hand Serena the recognition for a couple of weeks.

Safina will have to turn around her form this time in Doha after losing all of her matches in the round-robin stage in 2008. And she knows how tough it would be even after being in a relatively easy group with Wozniacki, Azarenka and Jankovic.

“Every tournament is important (including this). I think to win here, it’s something very big. From the first match, you have to be in top shape. It is not like a Grand Slam where until the third or fourth round you have some matches that you don’t have to play your hundred percent. You can win struggling there, but you still can make it. But here, if you are not ready, you are out,” Safina observed.

She added: “I think we are all young players in our group. It is not an easy group. Everyone is saying it is easy, but there is no easy way. It is the eight best players (competing).”

Serena is drawn into the Maroon Group with Venus, Kuznetsova and Dementieva. She starts her campaign today against this year’s French Open champion Kuznetsova.

Serena had won this event on her debut in 2001.

Dementieva is making her ninth Championships appearance in last 10 years. Having lost in the semi-finals twice including last year, the Russian is not short on experience and could spring a surprise.

The 19-year-old Wozniacki, who made it to her first Grand Slam final at the US Open 2009, and Azarenka are excited to be a part of the Championships.

Azarenka, 20, is the only one in the field who is yet to have played in a Grand Slam final.

Kuznetsova is the form player who tasted success recently. She won the China Open in Beijing two weeks ago. Jankovic was the last to make the cut and it has not been a good year for her due to fitness issues. She will be hoping for better results.

Last year’s runner-up Vera Zvonareva (Russia) and Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska are as alternates in case any of the top-eight are unable to play.

After the round-robin stage, the top two from each group advance to the semi-finals. The first-placed player in the White Group meets the second-placed player in the Maroon Group, and vice versa.

The Williams’ sisters also feature in the doubles draw with three other pairs.

It is a single elimination draw beginning with the semi-final round.

Cara Black (Zimbabwe) and Liezel Huber (US) pair will be aiming for their third straight title while Serena-Venus combination could top rankings if they are crowned champions. Spain’s Nuria Llagostera Vives and Maria Jose Martinez and Aussies Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs complete the line-up.