WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.(AP) Defending champion Serena Williams and four other past winners, including her sister Venus and wild-card entry Kim Clijsters, head the women's field for the U.S. Open.
Ninety-nine of the top 100 women in the current WTA rankings received direct entry Thursday into the hard-court Grand Slam tournament, played Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 in New York. The one missing is No. 88 Nathalie Dechy of France, who announced her retirement this week.
Serena Williams will be bidding for her fourth U.S. Open championship and third major title of 2009.
Clijsters will be playing at Flushing Meadows for the first time since winning her only major title at the 2005 U.S. Open. She is making a comeback after retiring in 2007.