Sharapova, Wozniacki rise in rankings

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., March 18 (UPI) -- Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki met in the WTA final at Indian Wells, Calif., and improved their positions in the women's tennis rankings.

Sharapova beat Wozniacki 6-2, 6-2 in Sunday's final and, with defending champion Victoria Azarenka withdrawing before her semifinal match, goes to No. 2 in the rankings behind Serena Williams. Azarenka falls to third.

Wozniacki's finals appearance allows her to pass Samantha Stosur for ninth in the rankings. In another Top 10 change, Sara Errani edges past Petra Kvitova for seventh.

Sharapova, with her 28th WTA title, is third on the active players' list in that category. Serena Williams leads with 47 wins and Venus Williams is second at 44. Wozniacki, with 20 career wins, is fourth.

Serena Williams, who doesn't include Indian Wells on her schedule, has 10,365 points to lead the women's rankings while Sharapova is second at 10,015 and Azarenka drops to third with 9,575 points.

Agnieszka Radwanska totals 7,395 points for fourth place while Li Na is fifth at 5,880 and Angelique Kerber (5,400) remains sixth.

Errani has 5,160 points, just 10 more than Kvitova. Wozniacki moves to 4,130 points while Stosur, in 10th, has 4,005.