Serena: "I have earned the #1 ranking"

BEIJING, Oct 6 (Reuters) - Serena Williams was in no doubt who deserved to top the women’s tennis rankings after wresting the number one spot back from Dinara Safina at the China Open on Tuesday. The American had made no secret of her incredulity that Safina, without a grand slam title to her name, should hold the top spot ahead of the Australian Open and Wimbledon champion.

The Russian’s loss to the 226th-ranked Chinese wildcard Zhang Shuai on Monday evening left Serena with the straightforward task of beating world number 55 Ekaterina Makarova, which she did with ease. “I think I’ve earned it,” the 28-year-old told reporters after her 6-3 6-2 victory. “I won two grand slams, and I should have got more. But you know what, I’m just excited to have those two, which is great. “I just played consistent for all the year. I felt like especially the beginning of the year I did well. I was bothered a little bit by injury but I kept fighting. “I kept showing up and doing the best I could do. Sometimes there were unfortunate losses, but I really tried. And I think at end of the day that’s what matters.”

Serena has made frequent jokes about what she thought was the unfairness of ranking, most notably after her Wimbledon triumph. So did she feel vindicated that she will be back at the top of the list when they are issued on Oct. 12? “I definitely feel better,” she said. “I’d be lying if I sat here and said I didn’t. “But I just feel like I would say the ranking will come, you know, I’m not focus on being number one. And I would rather have won the titles that I have won this year, as opposed to have the ranking. “But fortunately now, for next week at least, I have it.”