New WTA chairman defends rankings system

LONDON: New Sony Ericsson WTA Tour chairman Stacey Allaster defended the controversial women's rankings system following her appointment on Monday.

Russian Dinara Safina has risen to world No 1 despite not winning a grand slam title and American Serena Williams criticized the rankings after claiming her 11th major crown at Wimbledon this month.

"It's a 52-week ruling average and it's a combination of the grand slams and tour events. Without question, based on the ranking system, with consistent performance at the slams and at the tours, Dinara Safina is the No 1 player," Allaster told Reuters.