Didn’t the year-end Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, which begin tomorrow ... And bad has turned to worse for Safina since the Open. This may sound like a depressing litany for a year ...

On Wednesday in Doha, Safina lasted only 13 minutes in her first round-robin match of the season-ending championships before retiring while serving at 1-1 against Jelena Jankovic. Her withdrawal ...