NEW YORK (AP) Women to watch at the U.S. Open, which begins Monday (seedings in parentheses):
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI (1)
Age: 20
Country: Denmark
2010 Match Record: 41-14 (entering New Haven tournament)
2010 Singles Titles: 3
Career Singles Titles: 9
Major Titles: 0 - Best: RU, at U.S. Open in '09
Last 5 U.S. Opens: '09-Runner-Up, '08-Lost in 4th Round, '07-2nd, '06-Did Not Play, '05-DNP
Topspin: Made Grand Slam breakthrough a year ago in New York by reaching first career major final, knocking off 2005 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round and stopping American teen Melanie Oudin's surprising run in the quarterfinals. But Wozniacki has made it to only one major quarterfinal this year, with lopsided fourth-round losses at Australian Open and Wimbledon. Seeded No. 1 at a Grand Slam tournament for first time.
KIM CLIJSTERS (2)
Age: 27
Country: Belgium
2010 Match Record: 29-6
2010 Singles Titles: 3
Career Singles Titles: 38
Major Titles: 2 - U.S. Open ('05, '09)
Last 5 U.S. Opens: '09-Won Championship, '08-DNP, '07-DNP, '06-DNP, '05-W
Topspin: Carries a 14-match U.S. Open winning streak into this year's tournament. She's the defending champion - and she won it the previous time she entered, too, way back in 2005. In between, Clijsters took about 2 1/2 years off from tennis, getting married and having a baby, daughter Jada, who pranced around Arthur Ashe Stadium after Mommy won the 2009 championship. Clijsters' tremendous court coverage and strong groundstrokes make her a contender again.
VENUS WILLIAMS (3)
Age: 30
Country: United States
2010 Match Record: 33-6
2010 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 43
Major Titles: 7 - Wimbledon ('00, '01, '05, '07, '08), U.S. Open ('00, '01)
Last 5 U.S. Opens: '09-4th, '08-QF, '07-SF, '06-DNP, '05-QF
Topspin: Hasn't competed on tour since June 29 loss in Wimbledon quarterfinals. Sprained her left kneecap and pulled out of summer hard-court tournaments at Cincinnati and Montreal, hardly ideal preparation for Flushing Meadows. Her exit at the All England Club followed a fourth-round loss at the French Open, and a quarterfinal loss at the Australian Open. Because she recently turned 30, is facing queries about how much longer she plans to play.
VICTORIA AZARENKA (10)
Age: 21
Country: Belarus
2010 Match Record: 33-15
2010 Singles Titles: 1
Career Singles Titles: 4
Major Titles: 0 - Best: QF, at French Open in '09, Wimbledon in '09, Australian Open in '10
Last 5 U.S. Opens: '09-3rd, '08-3rd, '07-4th, '06-3rd, '05-DNP
Topspin: Has plenty of talent, but inconsistent season has seen her push eventual champion Serena Williams to three sets in Australian Open quarterfinals, yet lose in first round of French Open. Azarenka walloped Maria Sharapova in the final of a hard-court tournament at Stanford, Calif., on Aug. 1, then lost her opening match at Cincinnati on the same surface eight days later.
MARIA SHARAPOVA (14)
Age: 23
Country: Russia
2010 Match Record: 29-8
2010 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 22
Major Titles: 3 - Wimbledon ('04), U.S. Open ('06), Australian Open ('08)
Last 5 U.S. Opens: '09-3rd, '08-DNP, '07-3rd, '06-W, '05-SF
Topspin: Has been past the fourth round at only one of the past 10 Grand Slam tournaments, although she missed two of them - including the 2008 U.S. Open - because of a right shoulder injury that required surgery and forced her to tinker with her service motion. She also was hampered by a right elbow injury this season. When healthy, has the game and grit that allowed her to win her first major championship at Wimbledon at age 17.