Serena clinches year-end world No 1 spot

DOHA: Serena Williams rarely backs down in a scrap but she was spared a fight for the honor of ending the year as world No 1 on Wednesday when her rival Dinara Safina quit the WTA Championships with an injury.

The 28-year-old American was guaranteed finishing top for the first time since 2002 when Safina lasted just two games against Serbia's Jelena Jankovic in her first match at the season-ending showpiece that had been billed as the duel in the desert.

Safina, who topped the standings for more than half the year but needed to at least match Serena's performance in Doha to cling on to first place, made a tearful exit with a lower back injury before confirming she would not attempt to play her other two round-robin matches.