Pennetta moves into women's top 10

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Flavia Pennetta reached the top 10 for the first time and Jelena Jankovic improved one spot in the world women's tennis rankings released Monday.

Jankovic defeated No. 1-ranked Dinara Safina in straight sets Sunday in Cincinnati and collected her second championship of the year. That allowed her to move from fifth to fourth on the ratings chart, switching rankings with Elena Dementieva.

Safina stopped Pennetta in the tournament semifinals, ending her 15-match winning streak. The run, which included two tournament titles, boosted Pennetta to No. 10 in the world. She is the first Italian women's player to reach the top 10.

Safina fell to 3-5 in tournament championship matches in 2009 but remains solidly No. 1 ahead of No. 2 Serena Williams and No. 3 Venus Williams. Jankovic is within 245 ratings points of Venus Williams for the third spot.

Svetlana Kuznetsova is sixth with Vera Zvonareva in seventh, Caroline Wozniacki eighth and Victoria Azarenka in ninth.

Nadia Petrova fell out of the top 10 and is ranked 12th this week behind 11th-ranked Ana Ivanovic.