Tournament winners (February 21 – 28, 2010)

Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships (Dubai, UAE)

Singles: Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Doubles: Paul Hanley / Simon Aspelin

Abierto Mexicano Telcel (Acapulco, Mexico)

Singles: David Ferrer
Doubles: Oliver Marach / Lukasz Kubot

Delray Beach Int’l Tennis C’Ships (Delray Beach, USA)

Singles: Ernests Gulbis
Doubles: Mike Bryan / Bob Bryan

Abierto Mexicano Telcel (Acapulco, Mexico)

Singles: Venus Williams
Doubles: Polona Hercog / Barbora Strycova Zahlavova

Malaysia Open (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Singles: Alisa Kleybanova
Doubles: Jie Zheng / Yung-Jan Chan

Open 13 (Marseille, France)

Singles: Michael Llodra
Doubles: Michael Llodra / Julien Benneteau

Regions Morgan Keegan C’Ships (Memphis, USA)

Singles: Sam Querrey
Doubles: Sam Querrey / John Isner

Copa Telmex (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Singles: Juan Carlos Ferrero
Doubles: Horacio Zeballos / Sebastian Prieto

Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships (Dubai, UAE)

Singles: Venus Williams
Doubles: Nuria Llagostera Vives / Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez

Cellular South Cup (Memphis, USA)

Singles: Maria Sharapova
Doubles: Vania King / Michaella Krajicek

WTA

Open GDF Suez (Paris, FRANCE)

Singles: Elena Dementieva (RUS)
Doubles: Iveta Benesova / Barbora Zahlavova Strycova

PTT Pattaya Open (Pattaya, THAILAND)

Singles: Vera Zvonareva (RUS)
Doubles: Marina Erakovic / Tamarine Tanasugarn

ATP

SAP Open (San Jose, USA)

Singles: Fernando Verdasco (ESP)
Doubles: Mardy Fish / Sam Querrey

ABN AMRO World Tennis (Rotterdam, NETHERLANDS)

Singles: Robin Soderling (SWE)
Doubles: Daniel Nestor / Nenad Zimonjic

Brasil Open (Costa do Sauipe, Brazil)

Singles: Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP)

The $2 million Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships begins this week with the ladies event. Eight of the world’s top ten are in the draw which makes the competition tough, even for defending champion and world number five Venus Williams.

Israeli Shahar Peer is back in the tournament after being barred from competing last year due to political issues.

Here are the top eight seedings: [1] Caroline Wozniacki (DEN), [2] Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS), [3] Venus Williams (USA), [4] Victoria Azarenka (BLR), [5] Elena Dementieva (RUS), [6] Jelena Jankovic (SRB), [7] Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) and [8] Li, Na (CHN).

Watch Dubai Tennis Championships 2010 Live Online: Free Video Stream HERE.

Elena Dementieva of Russia looks to improve her runner-up finish last year in this tournament. She lost to now-retired former world number one Amelie Mauresmo in 2009.

However, the world number seven shouldn’t be complacent since the draw in the $700,000 Premier tournament is as tough as ever.

Here are the seeded players: Elena Dementieva [1], Flavia Pennetta [2], Yanina Wickmayer [3], Francesca Schiavone [4], Aravane Rezai [5], Shahar Peer [6], Virginie Razzano [7] and Elena Vesnina [8]

Watch Open GDF Suez 2010 Live Online Video Stream HERE

Russia’s Vera Zvonareva heads the field of this week’s $220 PTT Pattaya Open in Thailand. The defending champion crashed out of the world’s top ten after failing to defend the points she earned when she reached the semifinals of last year’s Australian Open.

Here are the seeded players: Vera Zvonareva [1], Sabine Lisicki [2], Vera Dushevina [3], Yaroslava Shvedova [4], Sybille Bammer [5], Sania Mirza [6], Kimiko Date Krumm [7] and Julia Goerges [8].

Watch the Pattaya Open 2010 Live Online Video Stream HERE.

This year’s Australian Open singles champions, Roger Federer (men) and Serena Williams (women), held on to their number one rankings as the updated ATP and WTA rankings were released on February 1, 2010, Monday.

Federer defeated Andy Murray of Great Britain in three sets in the men’s final on Sunday. The Swiss star begins his 268th week as the world number one and is in third place for total number of weeks as the world’s top-ranked player. The overall leader is Pete Sampras at 286 weeks followed by Ivan Lendl with 270.

For failing to defend the title this year, Spain’s Rafael Nadal drops two places to number four. Taking his place as the world’s second-best player is Novak Djokovic of Serbia followed by Murray at number three.

“It is not important for me, the ranking issue and losing a few spots— that’s normal when you are not able to compete,” Nadal said. The Spaniard was reportedly relieved after medical experts cleared him of the knee tendinitis which led him to skip Wimbledon last year. He will be out of competition for the next four weeks.

Elena Dementieva of Russia successfully defended the Sydney International title after she defeated top-seed Serena Williams 63 62 at the Olympic tennis center on Friday.

Williams had problems with her left knee during the match but the American world number one said that the injury was not serious and that she can still compete at her best level at the Australian Open, which begins on Monday.

“It’s Just a little pain and the strapping usually helps the pain go away sometimes,” Williams said.

“I haven’t played for two months on a competitive level, so I think it’s good for my body to go through this now, especially since I’m in doubles as well as singles. I think it’s a great blessing in a way. I played four matches and my body hasn’t been used to it. Now we’re ready and ready to go,” she added.

Israel’s Shahar Peer continues her fine run this season by beating Italy’s Sara Errani 62 60 to reach the Hobart International final. Last week, Peer reached the semifinals in Auckland despite meeting resistance and protests in her participation.

Up next for the Israeli is Ukraine’s Alona Bondarenko who advanced after defeating tournament top seed Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 46 63 64.

Peer struggled with her quarterfinal match against Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain late Thursday night but showed no signs of trouble with her opponent in the semifinals. She’ll be participating at the Australian Open, which begins on Monday.

World number one Serena Williams was in a brink of defeat before battling back to beat Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai 36 75 64 to reach the Sydney International final. She will face a familiar opponent, Russia’s Elena Dementieva, for the title.

The top ranked player lost the first set and was 5-2 down in the second before finding her rhythm and won the next five games to set up a third set encounter.

“Was I down that far? I didn’t even realize. I felt like I literally lifted my game at that point, because I knew I was going to be headed to Melbourne if I didn’t,” Williams said.

“I kept thinking, I want to get a little more practice, and I’d hate for it to end now,” she added.

Dementieva, the 2008 Beijing Olympics champion, had an easier time defeating Belarussian sixth seed Victoria Azarenka 63 61.

“I expect a tough match. She’s a great champion. I just hope it’s going to be a good match for both of us, and good preparation for the Open,” she said of Williams.

Australian Open 2010 begins on Monday, January 18.

The $220,000 Moorilla Hobart International 2010 is currently being held in Hobart, Australia with Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues leading the women’s field. Here are the other seeded players:

[2] Shahar Peer (ISR), [3] Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR), [4] Alona Bondarenko (UKR), [5] Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP), [6] Aleksandra Wozniak (CAN), [7] Jie Zheng (CHN) and [8] Gisela Dulko.

The singles champion will receive $37,000 and 280 ranking points.

Watch the Moorilla Hobart International 2010 Free Live Video Online Streaming HERE.

The world’s best players from both ATP and WTA tour are in Sydney this week to participate at the Medibank Sydney International tournament. This is an ATP 250 tournament with a total prize money of $372,500 for men and a $600,000 Premier-level event for women.

Gael Monfils of France leads the men’s field and is making his debut in the tournament. Here are the other seeded male players:

[2] Tomas Berdych (CZE), [3] Stanislas Warinka (SUI), [4] Lleyton Hewitt (AUS), [5] Sam Querrey (USA), [6] Viktor Troicki (SRB), [7] Igor Andreev (RUS) and [8] Benjamin Becker. Last year’s champion was David Nalbandian.