White Group

#1 Dinara Safina (0-1, withdrew)

Instead of the long, ugly defeats she had subjected innocent crowds to over and over again this fall, Dinara Safina decided to keep her run at the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha mercifully short.  After only two games in her first match against Jelena Jankovic, Safina threw in the purple towel, cited a back injury and pulled out of the tournament.

Safina said the back injury had been affecting her since Wimbledon, which would explain her lackluster results since then, except that her problems have not been physical at all. She has been losing because she had shown the mental stability of a claustrophobe in a coffin.  A top player doesn't fail to serve out a match against a player outside the top 200 like Kai-Chen Chang because of any physical ailments.  She may be feeling some aches and pains as well, but the real fracture right now is between her ears.

#4 Caroline Wozniacki (2-1, 2nd place -- Advances to semifinal)

With some uncharacteristic theatrics (closest to auditioning a dramatic death scene), Caroline Wozniacki cried and screamed her way into the semifinals, though with some obvious injury woes.  Playing as many tournaments as she did this year has caught up with her, and it hasn't been pretty. 

But she's managed to keep winning against some awfully fragile looking opponents, beating both Azarenka and Zvonareva in three-set tear-jerkers.  With her spot in the semis guaranteed, Wozniacki didn't put in a full effort against Jankovic in her third match, which no one can fault her for. 

She'll face Serena Williams in what should be a fairly lopsided final given their current forms.

#6 Victoria Azarenka (1-2, Eliminated)

After a demolition of Jankovic got Victoria Azarenka off to a great start in Doha, and after taking the first set 6-1 against Wozniacki in her second match, things totally fell apart for Azarenka. 

Devoid of any strategy or Plan-B, Azarenka tends to go for the exits mentally when the going gets tough.  Azarenka lost that match to Wozniacki in dramatic fashion, and ended her stint in Doha with a poor loss to Alternate #2 Agnieszka Radwanska.

Azarenka did indeed win a big title at Miami this year, but she's looking more and more Vaidisovan and less and less Sharapovan with every appearance on a big stage.  Like Vaidisova was once upon a time, she's an attractive pick for "next big thing" or "dark horse who can win this tournament," but, like became the case with Vaidisova, there's been a clear pattern of falling short.

#8 Jelena Jankovic (2-1, 1st -- Advances to semifinals)

Jelena Jankovic looked like roadkill at the beginning of this tournament, getting crushed 6-2, 6-3 against Azarenka.  She then got credit for a win after Safina pulled out two games into their match, which was a lucky break to be sure even though I had no doubts Jankovic would crush the imploded Safina.

And then an injured Caroline Wozniacki had already clinched a spot in the semifinals, and allowed Jankovic to win 6-2, 6-2.  And just like that, Jelena "The Cockroach" Jankovic found herself winning the White Group, and in the semifinals.

Hey, somebody had to win it.

#9 Vera Zvonareva (Alternate) (0-1, Eliminated)

A finalist last year in Doha, Zvonareva replaced Safina as an alternate but only lasted one match herself, losing a close one to Wozniacki before withdrawing and making room for the second alternate Radwanska. 

Not to worry, though: Zvonareva managed to fill her tears quotient for the tournament in just that one match.

#10 Agnieszka Radwanska (Alternate)(1-0, Eliminated)

For someone who came to Qatar as the second alternate, Agnieszka Radwanska had a pretty nice week.  She danced to Lady Gaga with her sister, and played one match that netted her $200,000. 

Twice getting into the year-end championships as an alternate, Radwanska is now 2-0 in the event, showing that she's one of the best at winning statistically meaningless matches.  But with that six-figure haul this week, Radwanska should be able to buy herself a nice set of Gaga-esque rings to play with during the off-season.
 

Maroon Group

#2 Serena Williams (3-0, 1st -- Advances to semifinal) With the year-end #1 ranking on the line, Serena Williams delivered her best non-slam tennis of 2009 in Doha, winning all three of her round robin matches. 

Included in that slew of victories was a gutsy, match-point-saving, three-set win over her sister Venus in possibly the best match the two have ever contested, as well as a surprisingly easy win over Elena Dementieva. 

Serena should have little trouble with Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals, and will be the favorite against whomever she faces in the final.

#3 Svetlana Kuznetsova (1-2, Eliminated) 

After losing tough matches to each Williams sister, Svetlana Kuznetsova was eliminated from semifinal contention.  But that didn't stop her from sticking it to her countrywoman Elena Dementieva by beating her in the final round robin match, keeping Dementieva out of the semifinals and securing Venus Williams a spot in the final four.

Kuznetsova's 1-2 run this year "improves" her career record at year-end championship events to an incredibly awful 3-12, which is a surprisingly consistently awful showing for a player as streaky as she is.

#5 Elena Dementieva (1-2, Eliminated)

Mirroring Azarenka's performance in the other group, Elena Dementieva began group play very strongly with a win over eventual semifinalist Venus Williams, before disappearing against Svetlana Kuznetsova in her third match. 

The loss to Kuznetsova is pretty baffling, as Dementieva was the only one of the two still in contention for a slot in the semifinals.

The week follows Dementieva's pattern through these last few years at big tournaments--strong buzz early, but no hardware in the end.

#7 Venus Williams (1-2, 2nd -- Advanced to semifinal)

With three players going 1-2, Venus Williams held the tiebreak that let her advance to the semifinals over fellow one-win Maroon Group competitors Dementieva and Kuznetsova.

All three of Venus's matches in Doha thus far have been exceedingly close and entertaining, if not especially pretty to watch.  But her desire and grit have been on full display, and its clear that defending this title means a great deal to her.

Venus's semifinal against Jelena Jankovic should be a fun match.  The two have always played close on all surfaces, and have extremely contrasting styles that make for quality viewing.  The size of the stage would seem to favor Williams, though, so I'll give her the nod to make the final.