It didn’t look like that in the beginning, but the match between Caroline Wozniacki and Vera Zvonareva turned into a dramatic encounter at the Sony Ericsson Championships.

Wozniacki let a 6-0 5-2 lead slip when Zvonareva evened at one set apiece after the second-set tiebreak in which she even saved two match points. Wozniacki built a 3-1 lead in the third set, but the leg that caused her withdrawal from Luxembourg last week stated hurting again. Then Zvonareva won four of the next five games for a 4-3 lead. Still, Wozniacki didn’t give up and despite pain and tears that I have to admit frightened me, the Dane won the match 6-0 6-7(3) 6-4.

The match against Zvonareva was Wozniacki's second marathon in two days. In her previous match she beat Victoria Azarenka after losing the first set and saving a match point in the third.

Zvonareva was last year’s runner-up and this year she entered the Championships as an alternate, after Dinara Safina’s withdrawal. (photo: Ralf Reinecke)

Dinara Safina handed a match to Jelena Jankovic, pulling out from the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha when serving at 1-1 in the first set. The reason for the Russian’s withdrawal is a back injury, which is likely to prevent her from playing the start of the next season, including the 2010 Australian Open.

Safina said the bone structure in her lower back is "starting to fracture", and that she has had the injury for three months. Today, she couldn't handle the pain.

Jankovic lost her first round-robin match to Victoria Azarenka, so this present from Safina must have been welcome.

Safina regained the top-ranking on Monday, but she will again hand it to Serena Williams, who will finish a season at No.1 for the second time in her career.

Earlier in the day, Caroline Wozniacki beat Victoria Azarenka 1-6 6-4 7-5, recovering from a first set blowout and saving a match point in the third set. Azarenka was leading by a break four times in the decider, but Wozniacki fought back each time. It was Wozniacki's first match at the Sony Ericsson Championships ever. (photo via Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)

Now we can stop counting… Elena Dementieva of Russia and Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark have quickly joined a bunch of top players in their early Pan Pacific Open exit.

Third seed Elena Dementieva was beaten 6-2 6-7(3) 6-1 by Kateryna Bondarenko in the second round, and was soon after accompanied by fourth-seeded Caroline Wozniacki, who retired due to a viral infection, while trailing Aleksandra Wozniak 0-5 in the first set.

Dementieva had never in their four previous encounters lost a set to Kateryna Bondarenko, and she blamed bad line calls and fatigue for the outcome of today's match.

"There were way too many bad calls from the chair umpire today," said the Russian. "I'm surprised they don't have a challenge system at such a big event."

During the Pan Pacific Open here on Women’s Tennis Blog we just mentioned the numerous upsets. This time, we should give some well-deserved attention to Maria Sharapova, who almost double-bageled Samantha Stosur to enter the last 16. Stosur saved two match points at 0-5 in the second set, and lost 6-0 6-1.

Note: Just one Top 10 player, Serena Williams, didn’t enter the $2 million Tokyo event, and only two of the nine that entered the tournament have reached the third round – Jelena Jankovic and Victoria Azarenka. (source: Reuters, photo courtesy of Women Who Serve)

World No.6 Caroline Wozniacki and world No.5 Elena Dementieva join Top 2 players Dinara Safina and Serena Williams on the list of those who have qualified for the elite $4.45 million Sony Ericsson Championships in singles.

The finalist at the just-finished 2009 US Open Wozniacki will play the prestigious tournament for the first time, while Dementieva has qualified for the ninth time in her career.

The Dane and the Russian have each won three titles this year.

The season-ending Championships will take place at the Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha, Qatar, from October 27 to November 1, 2009. (photos: Ralf Reinecke, Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)

What a way to start a comeback! Playing only her third tournament after taking a two-year break and starting a family, wildcard Kim Clijsters went all the way to the US Open title, and from an unranked player she'll soon become No.19, according to projections.

I suppose that everyone, except Denmark, rooted for the 2005 US Open champion Clijsters in this final, and despite her ranking and lack of match play, the Belgian was favored to defeat the first time Grand Slam finalist, No.9 seed Caroline Wozniacki. That was exactly what happened, and Clijsters clinched title with a 7-5 6-3 victory.

Nevertheless, congrats to the 19-year-old Wozniacki for making the finals and becoming the first Dane, man or woman, to reach the finals of a Grand Slam in the Open Era.

On route to the title Clijsters defeated Viktoriya Kutuzova, No.14 seed Marion Bartoli, Kirsten Flipkens, No.3 seed Venus Williams, No.18 seed Li Na, No.2 seed Serena Williams and finally No.9 seed Caroline Wozniacki.

The 26-year-old Clijsters has become the first mother to win a Grand Slam title since Evonne Goolagong Cawley, who won Wimbledon in 1980. (photo via Life.com)