Hot news: Jelena Jankovic honored by ITF

Source: AP

Jelena Jankovic was honored Wednesday as the International Tennis Federation’s world champion of 2008.

Jankovic finished the year as the top-ranked women’s player despite failing to win a Grand Slam title in 2008—she lost in the U.S. Open final to Serena Williams. But the 23-year-old Serb still managed to win more matches than any other player on tour, and claimed WTA titles in Rome, Beijing, Stuttgart and Moscow.

“I worked really hard this year and to finish No. 1 is where I want to be and where I want to stay,” Jankovic said.

The ITF selects its world champions based on a system that includes results from the ATP and WTA tours, along with Grand Slams, Olympics and the Davis Cup and Fed Cup.

Hot news: Davenport expecting second baby in 2009

Source: AP

Lindsay Davenport is pulling out of the Australian Open because she is pregnant with her second child.

The three-time Grand Slam singles champion and former No. 1-ranked woman gave birth to a son, Jagger, in June 2007. Davenport then returned to the tour, although she hasn’t played since the U.S. Open in August of this year.

Just last week, the Australian Open announced Davenport would play in the tournament, which begins Jan. 19.

“Of course this unexpected but exciting surprise now means I will be putting tennis on hold for the foreseeable future,” Davenport said in a statement issued Wednesday by her agent.