Russian tennis queens hope reign will continue in new year!

PARIS: Russia's tennis tsarinas, who dominated 2004 with three of the four Grand Slams and a first ever Fed Cup to their names, aim to hammer home their dominance in 2005. Of the 60 WTA events played in 2004, Russian women won 14 of them with Anastasia Myskina taking the French Open, Maria Sharapova the Wimbledon crown before Svetlana Kuznetsova snatched the US Open title.
By the end of the year, there were five in the top 10 as they gleefully leapt into the gap left by the injury-plagued Belgian pair of Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters as well as the declining powers of the Williams sisters. But despite their successes, no Russian woman managed to grab the world number one spot which would have been another first.

Instead, the end of year tussle at the top was won by American veteran Lindsay Davenport who edged Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo. With the new season getting underway on Monday with tour events in Adelaide and Auckland as well as the Hopman Cup in Perth, it is that race to the top spot which is dominating the thoughts of the Russians.

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