Three players are in the battle to take the last qualifying spot of the 2009 Sony Ericsson Championships – Jelena Jankovic, Vera Zvonareva and Agnieszka Radwanska – and which one of them will qualify will be determined during this week’s Kremlin Cup in Moscow.

World No.7 Vera Zvonareva and world No.9 Jelena Jankovic are the Top 2 seeds at the Kremlin Cup and the main contenders for the last berth at the season-ending Championships. Here's how things are standing:

1) if they both lose prior to the quarterfinals, Jankovic will be the one to qualify for Doha;
2) if they both reach the quarterfinals, whoever does better from then on will have more points for Doha;
3) if they both lose in the same round from the quarterfinals and on, Zvonareva will have more points for Doha.

The first condition for world No.10 Agnieszka Radwanska to qualify for the Sony Ericsson Championships is to win the Kremlin Cup, and the second condition is that neither Zvonareva nor Jankovic reach the final.

Players that have already qualified include: Dinara Safina, Serena Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Elena Dementieva, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Venus Williams and Victoria Azarenka. (source: Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, photos: Ralf Reinecke, Stephane Martinache)

Top seed Vera Zvonareva and second seed Patty Schnyder were upset in the opening round of the Istanbul Cup on Tuesday.

The Russian world No.7 was defeated by Mariya Koryttseva of Ukraine 6-2 1-6 6-4, while the Swiss world No.19 fell to Rossana de los Rios 7-6(3) 2-6 6-3.

Zvonareva was playing for the first time since withdrawing from the third round of Wimbledon with a right ankle injury, and handed Koryttseva her first ever Top 10 win, and first ever Top 30 win as a matter of fact.

The highest seed left in the draw is third-seeded Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues who topped Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus 6-4 6-2. (photo: Stephane Martinache)

Seventh seed Vera Zvonareva was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon because of an ankle injury, while other seeded players advanced on Day 5, except for Dominika Cibulkova and Marion Bartoli who were upset, and seed No.28 Sorana Cirstea who was defeated by seed No.8 Victoria Azarenka.

Russian Zvonareva was supposed to play seed No.26 Virginie Razzano in the third round, but the Frenchwoman got a walkover. The world No.7 Zvonareva was sidelined for eight weeks after injuring her ankle in a match against Razzano in April, but returned to play in the at Eastbourne this month.

Second seed Serena Williams became the first player to earn a spot in the second week of Wimbledon by blowing her unseeded Italian opponent away 6-3 6-4 and will face Daniela Hantuchova for a place in the quarterfinals. Fourth seed Elena Dementieva brushed aside fellow Russian Regina Kulikova 6-1 6-2 to move into the fourth round.

Seed No.14 Dominika Cibulkova lost to Elena Vesnina 7-5 4-6 6-4, while No.12 seed Marion Bartoli fell to Francesca Schiavone 7-6 (5) 6-0. (photo: Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)

Some of the WTA Tour players dressed elegantly last night for the annual Ralph Lauren Sony Ericsson Pre-Wimbledon Party hosted by Richard Branson at The Roof Gardens.

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Sixth seed Vera Zvonareva has officially pulled out from the 2009 French Open.

The Russian sustained an ankle injury chasing a ball last month at the Family Circle Cup, and we can’t say we didn’t expect her to withdraw from the French Open. However, it’s a huge shame, since uninjured Zvonareva could have done very well at the Grand Slam.

Lucky loser Katie O'Brien of Britain will take Zvonareva’s spot in the draw. (photo courtesy of Women Who Serve)