New world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic won her second title in two weeks yesterday, beating Nadia Petrova of Russia 6-4, 6-3 in the final of the Porsche Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany.
The 23-year-old Serb also won the China Open in Beijing last week and now has three titles this year, including the Italian Open.
Jankovic was assured of taking over the top ranking today regardless of the outcome of the final. She already held the No. 1 spot for one week in August.
Serena Williams became the No. 1 after beating Jankovic in the final of the US Open, but the American will drop from the top ranking after losing her opening match in Stuttgart to Li Na of China.
Jankovic won her eighth career title after overcoming a brief lapse in the second set against the 18th-ranked Russian, who won the Stuttgart tournament in 2006.
In Tokyo, Czech Tomas Berdych halted fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro's hot streak by beating the Argentine 6-1, 6-4 to win the Japan Open yesterday.
Ninth seed Berdych's fourth ATP Tour title and his first since winning on grass in Halle last year came after Del Potro left the court to take medicine for an upset stomach.
"Everyone could see he had some problem," said Berdych, who stunned second seed Andy Roddick in the semifinals. "But he took some pills and was getting back into the match.
"It might have been different if Juan Martin was feeling better but I served well and everything came together."
Del Potro had been strong favorite to win the final at the US$969,000 Tokyo hardcourt tournament having won 29 of his previous 30 matches but Berdych dominated from the start.
The Czech picked up US$135,000 for the win while Del Potro, conqueror of top seed David Ferrer in the last eight, boosted his hopes of a place at the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup. Del Potro will climb to ninth in the race for next month's lucrative eight-man Shanghai shootout and a career-high ninth in the ATP world rankings.
In the women's event, top seed Caroline Wozniacki beat fifth-seeded Estonian Kaia Kanepi 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to take the title.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily October 6,2008)