Belgian star, Kim Clijsters regained her position at the top of the world rankings for the first time since 2003, as the new WTA rankings revealed on Monday. The 22-year-old Belgian, who missed the Australian Open last year through injury, reached the semifinals in Melbourne last week, which helped her overtake the number one spot from Lindsay Davenport. Clijsters' reign however could be short-lived, as she has been ruled out for eight weeks with an injury she picked up during her semifinal clash with eventual champion, Amelie Mauresmo. Meanwhile, Mauresmo's first Grand Slam title carried the Frenchwoman to the second spot in the rankings as Davenport sank to number three. Melbourne finalist, Justine Henin-Hardenne moved up to number five ahead of France's Mary Pierce, while 2005 Melbourne champion, Serena Williams suffered a major setback as her third round exit from the Australian Open landed her at number 39.
Marcos Baghdatis Former world number one, Martina Hingis, who made a comeback to professional tennis less than a month ago, climbed 232 places up the rankings to occupy the 117th position after reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. On the men's side, surprise Melbourne finalist, Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus, made a phenomenal entry into the world's top 30 as he moved from 54 to 27 in the ATP Entry rankings. The 20-year-old Cypriot, who was unseeded at the event, ousted four seeds on his way to the final including world number three, Andy Roddick, number four David Nalbandian and number five, Ivan Ljubicic. Roger Federer, who successfully defended his title in Melbourne, maintained his position at the top of the rankings, way clear of Rafael Nadal who trails the Swiss ace by 2660 points but remains ahead of Roddick. On the other hand, 2005 Aussie Open champion, Marat Safin sank to number 50 in the rankings as he was forced to miss the event with a persistent knee injury, while Australia's Lleyton Hewitt crashed out of the top 10 after falling in the second round.
