Serena William - The Real No. 1?

Dinara Safina is the top-ranked women's tennis player, but Serena Williams says otherwise.

Despite evidence to the contrary, new No. 1 Dinara Safina is not the best women's player in the world, according to the new No. 2.

"We all know who the real No. 1 is," Serena Williams told a news conference at the Italian Open at Rome on Monday. "Quite frankly, I'm the best in the world."

Asked which opponent she feared the most, Williams stuck to the same theme: "Probably myself. I always beat myself." Williams can point to her record of 10 Grand Slam titles, 10 more than Safina has won.

But Safina wasn't apologizing for her place atop the rankings. She said Williams is "older than me, so she has more experience. So let's see when I'm her age how many titles I have and then we can say.

"It's not luck. Nobody gave it to me. I played two Grand Slam finals and last year I won four titles. This didn't come out of [the] sky."

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Kuznetsova Eases By Safina To Take Title

STUTTGART, Germany -- Svetlana Kuznetsova upset top-ranked Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday to win the Porsche Grand Prix and capture her first WTA title since September 2007.

It was Safina's first tournament since becoming No. 1 two weeks ago.

Kuznetsova, the 2004 U.S. Open champion now ranked No. 9, was in command in the all-Russian showdown with an aggressive, big-hitting game, winning on her third match point with an overhead smash.

She had lost her last six finals and had not made any this year before Stuttgart.

"It's been a while. It's great to be here and win," Kuznetsova said before taking a spin on the court in a white Porsche convertible that she won as first prize. "It was a bit scary but I will definitely keep it. It's special."

Kuznetsova won at Stuttgart in her fifth try.

Safina, the Australian Open runner-up, dropped her serve in the final game of the first set. Kuznetsova set it up with a perfect return down the line and Safina then put a backhand into the net.

She had two chances to break Kuznetsova's serve in the third game of the second, but Kuznetsova held. Kuznetsova never looked back after taking a 4-2 lead.

Safina saved one match point at 5-3 and one more in the next game, but Kuznetsova had too much fire power.

"She played very well and I didn't feel very well today," Safina said. "But I am still No. 1."

The Stuttgart tournament used to be played on a hard surface, but has become the first indoor event on clay on the circuit.

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