Serena Williams named 2009 WTA Player of the Year

AFP - World number one Serena Williams was named the 2009 WTA Player of the Year and shared Doubles Team of the Year with sister Venus at an awards ceremony on Wednesday.
  
Serena Williams won last year's Australian Open and Wimbledon singles titles while also reaching the US Open semi-finals and French Open quarter-finals.
  
Alongside Venus, Serena captured the 2009 US and Australian Open and Wimbledon women's doubles titles.
  
Belgium's Kim Clijsters took Comeback Player of the Year honors after her US Open title and won her seventh sportsmanship award from the WTA.
  
US teen Melanie Oudin, a 2009 US Open quarter-finalist, won Newcomer of the Year honors while Belgian Yanina Wickmayer took Most Improved Player honors and American Liezel Huber won her fourth career Player Service Award.
  
Russian Elena Dementieva won Fan Favorite Singles Player of the Year in an internet fan vote.