Serena and Kimmie Win Big at WTA Player Awards Ceremony

On Wednesday the WTA and it's top stars gathered to announce the winners of the 2009 awards. Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters each took home two awards while some of the tour's up-and-coming talents took home the others.

The world number 1 Serena took home Player of the Year and then was honored with her sister for Doubles Team of the Year.

“2009 was one of the best seasons of my career and winning the Player of the Year award for the third time is a great achievement for me,” said Serena. “2009 will always be memorable for me not just for my singles accomplishments, but because Venus and I won four titles together and I am thrilled to be sharing the Doubles Team of the Year award with my sister.”

Kim Clijsters was recognized for her stellar comeback, which included a title at the 2009 US Open just 3 tournaments into her return to the sport after retirement and having a child, by being awarded with Comeback Player of the Year.

Clijsters was also awarded the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award for the seventh time for her top-notch conduct and graciousness.




Wimbledon semifinalist Elena Dementieva took home Fan Favorite Singles Player of the Year, an award voted on through the WTA website.





Liezel huber won the Player Service Award for a 4th time due to her constant effort outside of the tennis community to help those less fortunate.

With a 4th round appearance at Wimbledon and a quarterfinal at the US Open, Melanie Oudin was honored with Newcomer of the Year.

US Open semifinalist Yanina Wickmayer was chosen as the Most Improved Player of the Year after a year that included her first two WTA Tour titles.

Finally, The Williams sisters were honored as Doubles Team of the year as they triumphed at 4 events, most notably, the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.

“I love playing doubles with Serena as we have so much fun on the court together,” said Venus. “At the beginning of the 2009 season Serena and I decided to put a lot of emphasis on doubles and I am thrilled that we were able to achieve so much together.”

Paris, San Jose and Rotterdam Results: Roddick, Dementieva and Djoko into Semis

February tends to be a slow month for the tennis scene, but some of the world's top players are competing in lower-level tournaments this week. In the 250-level event in San Jose, top seeded Andy Roddick is through to the semifinals after edging Tomas Berdych in their quarterfinal, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5). Roddick will take on 7th seeded Sam Querrey, who comfortably beat Michael Russel 4 and 3, in the semis. On the opposite side of the draw, Fernando Verdasco and Denis Istomin will duke it out for a shot in the final after they each won in 2 and 3 sets, respectively.

At the Open GDF Suez in Paris, number 1 seed Elena Dementieva advanced to the final 4 with a comeback victory over Andrea Petkovic, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. The Russian's semifinal opponent will be Melaniue Oudin, who has started to gain confidence back after victories over Sorana Cirstea, Patty Schnyder and Agnes Szavay. Oudin knocked Dementieva out of the US Open in the 2nd round, so the youngster will be looking to back up her upset. In the bottom half of the draw, Lucia Safarova and Flavia Pennetta will fight for a spot in the final after easy quarterfinal victories respectively over Shahar Peer and Tathiana Garbin

At the star-studded tournament in Rotterdam, Novak Djokovic, the top seed, advanced to the semifinals by default when Florian Mayer withdrew. The world number 2 will meet Mikhail Youzhny, a 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 winner over Gael Monfils, for a spot in the finals. The 2nd seeded Nikolay Davydenko defeated Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-2 and will play a familiar foe in the semis, Robin Soderling, who lost just 1 game to Julien Benneteau.

Fed Cup Day 2: USA, Russia, Italy and Czechs Advance

Jelena Jankovic carried the Serbian team and allowed them to have a shot at reaching the Fed Cup semifinals, but she couldn't do it alone, and the Russians prevailed 3-2 in the tie. Jankovic rallied to defeat Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, but Ana Ivanovic, who totaled a dismal 0-3 in the tie, was once again dominated in her singles match, losing 6-2, 6-3 to Alisa Kleybanova. In the deciding doubles match, the Russian team decided to sit Vera Dushevina and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for Kuzzie and Kleybanova, and it payed off, as they beat Ivanovic and Jankovic 6-1, 6-4.

On their least favorite surface, the underdog Americans took out the French team 4-1, as Melanie Oudin won her second singles match, 7-6 (3), 6-4, over Julie Coin to clinch the tie. Insurmountably up 3-0, the United State's Christina McHale lost to Pauline Parmentier and the doubles team of Liezel Huber and Bethanie Mattek-Sands gave the US a 4-1 victory.

The tie between the Czechs and the Germans wasn't decided until the final doubles match, and the suspense wasn't lacking. On day 2, Lucia Hradecka gave the Czech Republic a 2-1 lead with a 6-1, 7-6 (5) win over Andrea Petkovic, but Anna-Lena Groenefeld's 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win over Petra Kvitova forced the tie into a 5th and final match, where the Czech doubles team won 6-1, 6-3.

The Italians and Ukranians went into day 1 split at 1, but the defending champs showed their dominance on Sunday, as both Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone won their respective singles matches to clinch the win. With the winner already decided, the Italians won the doubles 6-1, 6-3.

Fed Cup Day 1: US Takes 2-0 Lead, Remaining Ties Split at 1

Without the Williams sisters and heavily unfavored, the United States Fed Cup team jumped out to a commanding 2-0 lead over the French when Melanie Oudin and Bethanie Mattek-Sands both won in straight sets. Oudin took on Pauline Parmentier and triumphed 6-4, 6-4, while Mattek-Sands edged out Alize Cornet 7-6 (7), 7-5.

In the most anticipated tie of the event, the Serbians and the Russians split singles matches on day 1. Svetlana Kuznetsova dominated Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-1. It looked like the Russians would take a 2-0 lead before Jelena Jankovic overcame a 1 set deficit to beat Alisa Kleybanova 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in front of her home crowd.

In Brno, Czech Republic, the Germans and Czechs are also tied at 1 match a piece. Anna-Lena Groenefeld had little difficulty defeating Lucie Safarova, 6-2, 6-2. Petra Kvitova earned a 2 set victory over Andrea Petkovic,

The Italians started their title defense on Ukraine's home court. The Bondarenko sisters split 1 match a piece, as Alona defeated Francesca Schiavone 6-1, 6-4. Flavia Pennetta gave Italy it's 1st win with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Kateryna.