Hamburg  - Dinara Safina returned to the top and Caroline Wozniacki rose to a career-high fourth place in the WTA women's tennis rankings issued on Monday.

Russia's Safina has 7,731 points and ends Serena Williams' two-week reign at the top of the standings. The American Williams has 7,576 points and Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova is third on 5,772 points.

Wozniacki climbed two places to fourth with 5,485 points amid ongoing controversy about an injury-related withdrawal last week in Luxembourg which has led to a WTA probe.

Taipei  - Taiwan hailed Chang Kai-chen after she beat women's world number one Dinara Safina in the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Monday.

Chang, ranked 132, upset Safina of Russia 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-5 in the second round of the event.

"She overcame great pressure to beat Safina. The Light of Taiwan shone on the international tennis court," the Chinese-Taipei Tennis Association said on its website.

Hamburg  - Dinara Safina retained the world number one position in women's tennis despite her latest failure to win a Grand Slam title, while US Open champion Kim Clijsters returned into the rankings in 19th place.

The Russian Safina leads the way in the rankings issued on Monday by the WTA with 9,070 points from US Open semi-finalist Serena Williams (7,807) and her sister Venus Williams (6,645). Safina went out in the third round in New York.

New York  - Shaky top seed Dinara Safina turned in another patchy performance to escape with a victory, while American Melanie Oudin produced the shock of the event so far with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 knockout of fourth seed Elena Dementieva Thursday.

It was hit-or-miss for Safina, troubled by doubts over her status as a world number one who has yet to win a Grand Slam title.

The Russian got past Kristina Barrois of Germany 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-3, no thanks to 15 double faults and 38 unforced errors in their second-round match-up.

New York - Unfancied Australian outsider Olivia Rogowska came close to an upset in the opening round of the US Open Tuesday before rattled top seed Dinara Safina pulled herself together to scratch out a perilous 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-4 first round win.

The Russian world number one, who has never won a Grand Slam but has lost three major finals, was down a break in the third set against the 167th-ranked wild card and looking fragile.

But Safina managed to stumble through an error-plagued contest lasting well over two and a half hours to escape.

New York - Dinara Safina said Saturday that two weeks of rest and light training is her prescription for trying to crack the jinx that has prevented the WTA number one from lifting a career Grand Slam title as she prepares for the start of the US Open on Monday.

Safina has lost three of the last six finals at majors dating to the French Open, 2008 while producing semi-final showings at the Open a year ago and at Wimbledon against Venus Williams last month.

After last competing in Toronto in mid-August, the Russian is prepared to attack in New York relatively refreshed.

Hamburg - Dinara Safina continues to lead the women's tennis rankings, while fellow Russian Elena Dementieva moved back to fourth in the women's tennis rankings issued on Monday by the WTA.

Jelena Jankovic of Serbia slipped back to fifth, while Victoria Azarenka of Belarus improved to eighth.

WTA top 10 as of August 24 (previous ranking in parenthesis): <# 1. (1) Dinara Safina, Russia, 9,810 2. (2) Serena Williams, United States, 8,907 3. (3) Venus Williams, United States, 6,865 4. (5) Elena Dementieva, Russia, 6,835 5. (4) Jelena Jankovic, Serbia, 6,620 6. (6) Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia, 5,960 7. (7) Vera Zvonareva, Russia,

Hamburg - Dinara Safina continues to lead while Jelena Jankovic improves to fourth in the women's tennis rankings issued on Monday by the WTA.

Russia's Safina has improved to 9,810 points, with Wimbledon champion Serena Williams and sister Venus remaining second and third ahead of Serbia's Jankovic.

Italy's Flavia Pennetta moves up two places to 10th, while Nadia Petrova of Russia slips out of the leading 10.

Hamburg  - Dinara Safina leads an unchanged women's tennis rankings issued on Monday by the WTA ahead of the Williams sisters.

Russia's Safina has 9,601 points, with Wimbledon champion Serena Williams on 8,628 and Venus Williams on 6,935 points.

WTA top 10 as of August 10 (previous ranking in parenthesis): <# 1. (1) Dinara Safina, Russia, 9,601 2. (2) Serena Williams, United States, 8,628 3. (3) Venus Williams, United States, 6,935 4. (4) Elena Dementieva, Russia, 6,591 5. (5) Jelena Jankovic, Serbia, 5,930 6. (6) Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia, 5,851 7. (7) Vera Zvonareva, Russia, 5,400 8. (8) Caroline Wozniacki, Denmark, 4,750 9. (9) Victoria Azarenka, Belarus, 4,539 10. (10) Nadia Petrova, Russia, 3,290 <# (dpa)