Serena Williams dethrones Safina atop women’s rankings

HAMBURG - Serena Williams of the United States returned to the top of the women’s tennis rankings in the latest list issued Monday by the WTA, dethroning Russian Dinara Safina by a mere five points.

Williams has 7,945 points to Safina’s 7,940, with Venus Williams third on 6,445 points. The slimmest leading margin since the current ranking system was introduced in 1996 came after Safina went out in the second round and Williams in the third at the China Open.

Serena Williams gained the top spot for the first time in 2002 and last occupied it in April 2009.

Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova moved from sixth to fourth courtesy of the Beijing title on Sunday, with finalist Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland back in the top 10 in 10th place.

WTA top 10 as of October 12 (previous ranking in parenthesis):

1. (2) Serena Williams, United States, 7,945 points

2. (1) Dinara Safina, Russia, 7,940

3. (3) Venus Williams, United States, 6,445

4. (6) Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia, 5,981

5. (4) Elena Dementieva, Russia, 5,875

6. (5) Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark, 5,575

7. (7) Vera Zvonareva, Russia 4,810

8. (9) Victoria Azarenka, Belarus, 4,590

9. (8) Jelena Jankovic, Serbia, 3,965

10. (11) Agnieszka Radwanska, Poland, 3,710