The 2009 Australian Open finalist, Dinara Safina, was eliminated from the Australian Open big time – in the first round, after just 44 minutes, without winning a single game and without earning a single break point. The conqueror on the other side of the net was another former world No.1 and third seed at the 2011 Australian Open, Kim Clijsters. It must be devastating for Safina, especially because this year she lost in the first round of all the three tournaments she played.

Safina, whose 2010 was one of the worst of her career, will have some thinking to do:

To lose two tournaments in a row 6-0 6-1 and 6-0 6-0 — it's really to scratch the head and to think what the hell am I doing. I want to come back and I want to play better, but now to find answers how I can come back.

All the other seeds in action on Day 2 advanced, except for seed No.27 Alexandra Dulgheru and No.19 Ana Ivanovic who fought hard, saved five match points, but lost to Ekaterina Makarova 3-6 6-4 10-8. The world No.49 Makarova won her first WTA title last year in Eastbourne, as a qualifier and without dropping a set.

Serbia may have lost one of their big names in the women's draw, but their new hope advanced to the second round — 58th-ranked Bojana Jovanovski beat Kai-Chen Chang 7-5 6-1 and will next play second seed Vera Zvonareva.

Besides a thrilling match, the encounter of Agnieszka Radwanska and the oldest player in the draw, Kimiko Date Krumm, featured this funny racquet breaking incident. The 12th-seeded Radwanska won the match 6-4 4-6 7-5 after receiving treatment for a back problem. Thanks DeShawn Besabella for sharing the video! (photo Patrik Nemes)

The 2011 season has just started and we're already thinking about the year-end rankings. Our friend John Bolan used a number of indicators to calculate how the Top 10 will look at the end of 2011. Isn't this a perfect time to get playful and test our projection abilities?

My friends and I play a game each year before the new tennis season begins: "Name the Top 10 players in order at the end of the year". We all have favorites, but I try to use a little logic in the picks.

First, see where the players finished this year. Then think about which good players have been injured for long periods during 2010. Finally, consider how many points players have to lose. Players with many points now must play better than players with fewer points to retain their ranking. Of course we all have personal favorites and think that different players will either rise or sink in the rankings.

My pick for number 1, Victoria Azarenka, has a combination of all the above factors – she has been injured, has fewer points to lose than anyone else in the Top 10, and is definitely a rising young star. Number 2, Justine Henin, and number 3, Maria Sharapova, also fit in the same mold.

One can’t forget to rank the Top 3 players from 2010. Kim Clijsters, Caroline Wozniacki and Vera Zvonareva are my next 3 picks. Although they have many points to subtract, they are the best 3 players in 2010.

Number 7 is Yanina Wickmayer. She is young and very strong. 2011 will be her breakout year.

Dinara Safina has very few points to lose, has been injured all 2010 and has more to prove than any other player. She will be back in the Top 10. Dinara is also my pick for a comeback player of the year 2011.

Ana Ivanovic is determined. She is working very hard.

In the last spot is Jelena Jankovic who will be steadier in 2011 and hold onto her Top 10 ranking.

There is no expectation on my part that any of you will agree with me on these picks! That is why we play the game! So use the comments and make your picks!

It will be interesting to get back to these projections when the 2011 season finishes. The time will come before we know it! (photos: Karla St John, John Bolan)

We are continuing our little series of women's tennis players and their mothers, and we're starting with one of the most famous tennis moms of the present – Jelena Jankovic's mother Snezana.

Here's a very nice video of Snezana and Jelena together, that the WTA Tour took last year for the Mother's Day. Snezana is talking about what Jelena was like as a child and how she got into tennis.

Another famous Serbian tennis mom is Dragana Ivanovic, also a very frequent site in the stands. Dragana is a lawyer, but more importantly, she's the mother of Grand Slam champion Ana Ivanovic.

The following photo shows Dinara Safina's mother, Rauza Islanova, who used to train her daughter when she was young.

Maria Sharapova's mother Yelena is less seen than her husband Yuri, so enjoy the following few photos of Sharapova and her family. Read more »

As our readers Yellybean and Stiven suggested, we are doing a review of non-Stella McCartney Adidas by presenting Adidas' two lines - Adilibria and Barricade - and what better than on the examples of Ana Ivanovic and ex-Stella McCartney face Maria Kirilenko.

Along with Serena Williams' Nike designs, Ana Ivanovic had the most beautiful outfits in 2010. As always with Adidas, it was the mixture of high-quality, simplicity, innovativeness, classic look and sporty look.

I absolutely love how Ana Ivanovic and Adidas Adilibria match, but I have to say that the line looked perfect on Flavia Pennetta and Sorana Cirstea as well. Read more »

Thanks to our regular reader Maja J, we are learning about these sneak previews of adidas' WTA stars wearing their clothing for the 2011 Australian Open. We've already talked about the beautiful purple adilibria outfit Ana Ivanovic will be wearing Down Under, but now we're having the photo of the outfit on Ana herself (previously I thought it was a dress, but now I hear it's a skirt and a top), as well as the pictures of Justine Henin and Flavia Pennetta in the designs adidas prepared for them.

Justine Henin will be in more colors than usual with her new SS11 Barricade two-piece ensemble, but I have to say I prefer the less is more approach when it comes to Henin and colors. The outfit, consisting of a polo shirt and skort, will be available in two color combinations of "fresh pink", "intense green" and white.

Read more »