Russia’s Alisa Kleybanova overcame both a rain delay and top-seeded compatriot Elena Dementieva to win her first WTA title at the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur.

The fourth-seeded Kleybanova survived some tough matches prior to the final, but in the title match she dominated one of the best players at the moment and cruised to a 6-3 6-2 victory.

Prior to the clash with heavy-hitting world No.29 Kleybanova, the seventh-ranked Dementieva hadn’t dropped a set in Kuala Lumpur and actually lost only an average of less than two games per set.

Before the 2010 Malaysian Open, Kleybanova’s best career singles results were semifinal finishes at Fès, Toronto and Moscow. (photo AP via Yahoo)

Fifth-ranked Venus Williams followed up her Dubai title defense by extending her reign in Acapulco, winning the Abierto Mexicano TELCEL for the second time in a row.

The title at the International-level event in Mexico didn’t come easy for the top-seeded Venus, who had to overcome some real hurdles even though she faced opponents much lower ranked than herself.

The first two rounds went by fine, but in the quarterfinals against world No.399 qualifier Laura Pous Tio, Venus was 5-1 down in the third set before pulling off one of her biggest career comebacks. The following semifinal against world No.164 Edina Galovits was also a three-setter. In the title match, the seven-time Grand Slam champion faced first-time finalist, world No.60 and eighth seed Polona Hercog of Slovenia, and fought back after losing the first set to win 2-6 6-2 6-3.

Williams has now won nine titles on clay, coming in second among active players after Justine Henin who has 12. The American has also extended the gap between herself and Henin, having won 43 career titles to Henin’s 41. (source: Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)

World No.1 Serena Williams had opened a secondary school in Kenya two years ago, which she said in her autobiography was one of the landmark events in her life, and has followed up her humanitarian work by opening another one in the same country.

This month’s inauguration of the Wee Secondary School in Makueni, Eastern Province, Kenya, is the continuation of the Build African Schools initiative and Hewlett Packard’s efforts.

Williams visited both the schools, about 50 km away from each other, and led tennis clinics during her three-day stay in Kenya. (source: Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)

Fellow tennis blogger, HCFoo from Malaysia, was privileged to attend surprise birthday bash for China's Li Na.

Together with line judges, ballboys and ballgirls, media and organizers, HCFoo sang a birthday song for the 28-year-old Li, both in Malaysian and in English.

The bouquet of flowers you see in front of Li Na is from our fellow blogger.

Happy birthday from Women’s Tennis Blog as well. We're wishing you to advance further within the Top 10!

World No.21 Zheng Jie has followed in the fashionable footsteps of most top women’s tennis players and posed for Asian All Sports magazine, or better called 全体育.

The Chinese two-time Grand Slam semifinalist has always been very cute, but it is refreshing to see her looking glamorous for a magazine photo shoot.

Zheng is currently playing the $220,000 Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur. (source: HCFoo's Tennis Blog)

China’s Li Na, who has risen to No.10 in the rankings after reaching the Australian Open semifinals, lost 6-1 5-7 6-2 to Germany’s Tatjana Malek in the first round of the inaugural Malaysian Open.

Chinese first ever Top-10 women’s tennis player and second seed in Kuala Lumpur, converted all three of her break points, but lost her own serve three times and world No.81 Malek thus scored her first Top 10 win. Li’s compatriot Zheng Jie, seed No.3, advanced to the second round by beating qualifier Elena Bovina 6-4 6-3.

Top-seeded Elena Dementieva progressed to the second round. The Russian defeated Ekaterina Bychkova 6-2 6-1, in a less straightforward match than the score suggests. Interestingly, Dementieva’s next opponent will be young Serbian star Bojana Jovanovski, who you remember was jury member here on Women’s Tennis Blog when we held the contest to award one of our readers with the racquet signed by Justine Henin. Good luck, Bojana! (photo: chascow)

Heinz Gunthardt, former coach of tennis legend Steffi Graf, is about to coach player in crisis Ana Ivanovic and hopefully get her back where she belongs.

The world No.23 Ivanovic and Gunthardt will start their cooperation at the BNP Paribas Showdown on March 1, the exhibition event where the former world No.1 is replacing top-ranked Serena Williams.

Gunthardt helped Graf win 12 Grand Slams, and hopefully he can assist Ana to at least get that ball toss back. The 22-year-old has been changing coaches frequently, will the new one do the trick? (via Down the Line, photo: chascow)

World No.1 Serena Williams will not take part in the BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup on March 1 because of a left leg injury and will be replaced by Ana Ivanovic.

We were having a discussion here on Women’s Tennis Blog as to how they chose players for the one-night exhibition event at the Madison Square Garden in New York and now we can safely say that tennis results are not in the first place. Former world No.1 Ana Ivanovic didn’t win single WTA title in 2009, and not to mention a Grand Slam one. In addition, last year she had her first non-Top 20 season in five years.

The leg injury has forced 12-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams to miss tournaments in Paris and Dubai. (source: ESPN, photo: paddynapper)

Russian three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova, top seed at the International-level event in Memphis, eased past Swedish qualifier Sofia Arvidsson 6-2 6-1 to claim her first title of the 2010 season and 21st career title.

The year started with disappointment for Sharapova, as she lost in the first round of the Australian Open, but then the Russian entered this smaller tournament with the only wish to win some matches and gain confidence, and that’s what she did. Not only did the former world No.1 win the tournament, she didn’t drop one set on her way to the title, and in the final match she took nine games in a row from 2-2 to beat world No.102 Arvidsson.

The 26-year-old Arvidsson failed to win her second career title and her second at this very tournament in Memphis. (photo via Regions Morgan Keegan Champs / Cellular South Cup)

Venus Williams defended her Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships crown by beating Victoria Azarenka of Belorussia 6-3 7-5 in the final.

The third-seeded Williams benefited from the sole break of Azarenka’s serve in the seventh game to take the first set 6-3. The American continued well and with a 3-1 lead in the second set she seemed to be cruising to victory. However, the fourth-seeded Azarenka then won three successive games. Still, Williams later broke again to establish a 6-5 lead and held her serve to win the tournament.

World No.5 Venus Williams currently possesses the largest number of WTA singles titles among active women’s tennis players. She has now won her 42th, while Justine Henin comes in second with 41.

Last year in Dubai Williams defended the rights of Shahar Peer, the Israeli who was not given a visa to come to the UAE, and this year the American seven-time Grand Slam champion had the honor of beating that same Shahar Peer in the semifinals and later even claiming second straight title at the $2-million tournament. It's also worth mentioning that Peer will return to the Top 20. (photo via Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships)