World number seven Samantha Stosur of Australia overwhelmed the 33rd ranked Spaniard, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in the opening round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix played at the Porsche Tennis Arena at Stuttgart, Germany. To step into the second round of the $721,000 WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) tournament, the fifth seed Australian took 80 minutes to wrap up her straight sets triumph at 7-5, 6-1.

Stosur tended to put forth pressure upon her adversary early and she ignited the contest with her typical belligerence. She opened her shoulders on both wings and securing the opening set appeared to fill Stosur with confidence. She was able to read Martinez Sanchez’s intentions at will and winners flew off both the backhand and forehand side.

Last year at Stuttgart, the runner-up Stosur registered her fourth successive triumph over the Spanish rival. During the last year, the Aussie overwhelmed Sanchez three times and now leads the all time head-to-head record against her by 4-1. In the opening set of the contest, Stosur had some difficulties as she took time to get her eye in the game. In the second set, Stosur blew away the Spaniard to seal win for himself.

Last year, with triumph over Henin at Roland Garros, Stosur took revenge her Stuttgart final defeat before beating top seed Serena Williams and fourth seed Jelena Jankovic on the way to the final.

Stosur in the second round will meet Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova. The Australian defeated Romanian Alexandra Dulgheru 7-5 6-3.

The internet sports picks are offering great tennis odds. Stosur is favorite to go into the next round. The tennis betting odds for Stosur are 4/9 and Hantuchova are 2.

Jelena Jankovic · Porsche Tennis · Samantha Stosur · Serena Williams · WTA

At the WTA Championships in Doha, Qatar, Caroline Wozniacki won a match today by defeating Italy’s Francesca Schiavone 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 but she also won something much more important. She clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking for 2010, with the victory.

For the 20-year old from Denmark, it’s been a long and successful year. To end the season on the top of the rankings, Wozniacki becomes the 10th different woman. To achieve Wozniacki her goal, injuries to Serena and Venus Williams helped, but as Wozniacki’s rivals and they will tell you, she deserved it.

Wozniacki, with the win will now play in the semi-finals in Doha against either Kim Clijsters or Samantha Stosur. The other semi-finalist is the Vera Zvonareva of Russia.

In Thursday’s session, Belgium’s Clijsters beat Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-, while Stosur, who was on a two match winning streak, lost 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) to a tough Elena Dementieva of Russia.

Wozniacki admitted that on Thursday, she wasn’t in top form but she had enough to beat Schiavone, the 2010 French Open Champion. Wozniacki said, “I just hung in there and kept my focus and tried to get a little more aggressive and not let her dictate the game and that helped me through.”

Clijsters was pleased with her play on Thursday and many think is the favorite in Doha, but she expects to improve. Clijsters said, “It was a good match and obviously disappointing to lose that second set. It was close”.

Caroline Wozniacki · Elena Dementieva · Venus Williams · WTA