WTA Tour Championships: Mauresmo Defies Critics and Looks for No1

Unlike on the men's circuit where Roger Federer has been the dominant personality, winning three of the four grand slam titles, the women's year has been one of fragmentation and injury. So much so that the two contenders for the final No1 spot, Amélie Mauresmo and Lindsay Davenport, have not won a grand slam title between them over the past 12 months.

Indeed, Mauresmo has never won one of the majors, and her sole final appearance was back in 1999 when she lost to Martina Hingis, now retired, in the Australian Open. If Davenport reaches the final of the eight-women end-of-season WTA Tour Championships that begin in Los Angeles today, then Mauresmo cannot catch her; otherwise it could be the French woman on top of the world.

"I know some people were critical when I became the No1 for the first time this year because I had not won a slam, but the same also happened to Kim [Clijsters]," said Mauresmo. "The French are very proud of what I have a achieved. I always wanted to be the world's No1 and, of course, I now want to win a slam."

Earlier in the year Davenport signalled her probable retirement, but a run of successes on the US hard courts, coupled with freedom from injury, will almost certainly persuade her to compete for another year. The Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, are no longer the force they were, with Venus having failed to qualify for Los Angeles, and both Belgians, Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne, have been hit by injury or illness and will not be in California.

Essentially the Russians have been this year's main story, with first slam wins for Anastasia Myskina (French Open), Maria Sharapova (Wimbledon) and Svetlana Kuznetsova (US Open). All this should add up to a fascinating six days, with $3m (£1.6m) at stake, but this tournament has recently struggled to create public interest and seems certain to join forces with the men's Masters Cup, possibly next year in Shanghai.

Red Group: Davenport, Myskina, Dementieva, S Williams. Black Group: Mauresmo, Kuznetsova, Sharapova, Zvonareva.

Final: Nov 15.

Tournament winners this year : Davenport (7), Mauresmo (5), Sharapova (4), Kutnetsova, Myskina (3), Williams (2), Dementieva, Zvonareva (1).