World No 1 Lindsay Davenport's season ended on a sad note yesterday when injury forced her to pull out of the final of the WTA Championships in Munich.
Davenport, who returned to No 1 and made sure of ending the year in top spot by beating Kim Clijsters in the semifinals,
was due to play fellow American Serena Williams in the final.
She told tournament officials that she had felt pain in her troublesome right knee at the end of her match against Clijsters and could not play.
"I can't tell you how bad I feel," said Davenport, who was sidelined by a knee injury for 2 1/2 months earlier in the season.
"It's the worst possible way to end the season. It's almost impossible for me to walk. I won't be able to do anything for a month."
Seventh seed Williams, playing her first tournament since losing to sister Venus in the final of the US Open in September, becomes the first player to win the WTA Championships at the first attempt.
Davenport, the second seed, knocked fellow American Jennifer Capriati off the top spot when the final WTA rankings were released yesterday.
In France, home favourite Sebastien Grosjean beat Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the final of the Paris Masters.
Grosjean, seeded sixth, won 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4 to claim the biggest victory of his career and a spot in the season-ending Masters Cup.
He threw his arms into the air after sealing the title when his opponent sent a forehand smash into the net.
"It's a dream come true," Grosjean said with a shaky voice after his win.
"I had a dream tournament. I'm so moved."
It was his first title in a Masters Series event - second only to Grand Slams in importance - and his second career title.
It was also his first win in four encounters over Kafelnikov, who beat him in the final at Marseille, Grosjean's native city, in February.
- AGENCIES
