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Freshly-crowned Australian Open champion Serena Williams will look to continue her fine start to 2009 at the WTA Paris Open which got under way on Monday.
Williams's 10th Grand Slam singles title propelled her back to the top of the world rankings, but the woman she replaced, Serbia's Jelena Jankovic, lies in wait for the American top seed in the bottom half of an intriguing draw. "Maybe it will change, the number one ranking, but it's not important," Jankovic said after her surprise fourth-round defeat to France's Marion Bartoli at the Australian Open.
"(There's) the whole year ahead of us, a lot of tournaments, a lot of battles out there. "For me, the most important thing is how you finish, not how you begin." Another competitor gunning for revenge is Russia's Olympic gold medallist Elena Dementieva, who succumbed to her first defeat of the year against Williams at the semi-final stage of the year's first major.
After the searing heat of Melbourne, the final qualifying matches of the Paris Open took place beneath grey skies and wintry downpours at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin indoor arena. The 107,000-dollar (82,000-euro) top-prize tournament holds a special significance for Williams, as it was the first tour event she won as a professional in 1999. The last time she won the tournament was in 2003, shortly after capturing her first Australian Open title, and her affinity for Paris is such that she is thought to be looking to buy an apartment in the city. Paris is also the home of the year's second Grand Slam, and with the US Open and the Australian Open under her belt, Williams's thoughts are already turning towards Roland Garros.
"It would be great to win more than one, two, more than two Grand Slams this year. More than three!" she said. "That would be awesome. Obviously my sights are on doing well in Paris. "I didnt do well at all last year. When I get there I wont have that much to lose and Ill just be really relaxed." First up for the American in the first round here is the Czech Iveta Benesova, while Jankovic - a late wild card replacement for the injured Maria Sharapova - faces Italy's Francesca Schiavone.
Dementieva must first overcome Japan's Ai Sugiyama, while home favourite Amelie Mauresmo will find motivation in no short supply against 21-year-old Italian Sara Errani, who beat her in straights sets on Sunday as Italy recorded a 5-0 victory over France in a bad-tempered Fed Cup tie.
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