The season-ending, $4.45 million Sony Ericsson Championships - Doha 2009 is a mere two weeks away, and there is only one spot still available in the singles competition.
Victoria Azarenka and Venus Williams secured bids last week, joining Dinara Safina, Serena Williams, Caroline Wozniacki, Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova in the event, which is set to take place from October 27 to November 1.
Jelena Jankovic would have the eighth and final spot if the field were decided today, however, that could easily change before Doha, as Vera Zvonareva trails her by a mere five points. Not far behind the Russian is last week's runner-up in Beijing, Agnieszka Radwanska. Flavia Pennetta and Marion Bartoli are also still in the running. Whoever does not qualify could still secure one of the two available alternate spots.
Four tournaments remain before Doha - Linz and Osaka this week - and Moscow and Luxembourg next week. Of the potential Doha qualifiers, Pennetta and Radwanska are playing in Linz, Bartoli is playing in Osaka, and all of them except Bartoli are expected to play in the Premier-level event in Moscow.
With Monday's announcement that Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs have clinched a bid, the doubles field for Doha is now set, as Cara Black and Liezel Huber, the Williams sisters and Nuria Llagostera Vives and María José Martínez Sánchez previously secured spots in the four-team field. However, Hsieh Su-Wei and Peng Shuai's victory in Beijing could have some significance, as it vaulted them from seventh place to fifth in the Race to Doha standings. As it stands now, if one of the teams withdraws, the Asian duo would take their place.
