NEW YORK — Women to watch at the U.S. Open, which begins Monday (seedings in parentheses):

DINARA SAFINA (1)
Age: 23
Country: Russia
2009 Match Record: 52-12
2009 Singles Titles: 3
Career Singles Titles: 12
Major Titles: 0 — Best Finish: F, at Australian Open in ’09, French Open in ’08, ’09
Last 5 U.S. Opens: ’08-Lost in Semifinals, ’07-4th, ’06-QF, ’05-1st, ’04-1st
Topspin: Runner-up at three of the past six Grand Slam tournaments but still searching for her first major championship. ... One of four Russians seeded in top seven at U.S. Open. ... Lost 6-1, 6-0 in Wimbledon semifinals to Venus Williams. ... Has acknowledged faltering because she feels pressure in latter stages of major events.

SERENA WILLIAMS (2)
Age: 27
Country: United States
2009 Match Record: 38-10
2009 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 34
Major Titles: 11 — U.S. Open (’99, ’02, ’08), Australian Open (’03, ’05, ’07, ’09), French Open (’02), Wimbledon (’02, ’03, ’09),
Last 5 U.S. Opens: ’08-Won Championship, ’07-QF, ’06-4th, ’05-4th, ’04-QF
Topspin: Has won three of the past four Grand Slam tournaments to re-establish herself as the best women’s player in tennis today. ... Is seeking a second consecutive U.S. Open championship and fourth overall. ... Could face sister Venus in semifinals. ... Hasn’t looked particularly good during hard-court tuneup events, going only 6-3 and beating only one player ranked better than 33rd — but both of her titles this season came at majors. ... Leads tour in aces in 2009.

VENUS WILLIAMS (3)
Age: 29
Country: United States
2009 Match Record: 32-10
2009 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 41
Major Titles: 7 — U.S. Open (’00, ’01), Wimbledon (’00, ’01, ’05, ’07, ’08)
Last 5 U.S. Opens: ’08-QF, ’07-SF, ’06-Did Not Play, ’05-QF, ’04-4th
Topspin: Hasn’t won a Grand Slam title outside of Wimbledon since 2001, when she won her second U.S. Open championship in a row. ... Last made the final at Flushing Meadows in 2002, when she lost to sister Serena. ... The Williams sisters recently bought a small stake in the NFL’s Miami Dolphins.

ELENA DEMENTIEVA (4)
Age: 27
Country: Russia
2009 Match Record: 50-13
2009 Singles Titles: 3
Career Singles Titles: 14
Major Titles: 0 — Best: F, at French Open in ’04, U.S. Open in ’04
Last 5 U.S. Opens: ’08-SF, ’07-3rd, ’06-QF, ’05-SF, ’04-Runner-Up
Topspin: Semifinalist at three of the past four Grand Slam tournaments. ... Still looking for first major title; she and Safina most often tagged with label of best player without a Grand Slam championship. ... Beat Maria Sharapova in final at Toronto last weekend for hard-court tuneup title.

JELENA JANKOVIC (5)
Age: 24
Country: Serbia
2009 Match Record: 37-13
2009 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 11
Major Titles: 0 — Best: F, at U.S. Open in ’08
Last 5 U.S. Opens: ’08-RU, ’07-QF, ’06-SF, ’05-3rd, ’04-2nd
Topspin: Down year for her at the major tournaments, losing in third round at Wimbledon and fourth round at both French Open and Australian Open. ... Among the tour’s top serve returners and retrievers, still trying to break through for first Grand Slam title.

SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA (6)
Age: 24
Country: Russia
2009 Match Record: 33-12
2009 Singles Titles: 2
Career Singles Titles: 11
Major Titles: 2 — U.S. Open (’04), French Open (’09)
Last 5 U.S. Opens: ’08-3rd, ’07-RU, ’06-4th, ’05-1st, ’04-W
Topspin: Won second career Grand Slam championship by beating Safina in French Open final. ... Ranks sixth on tour this season in percentage of service games won (73.3), second in percentage of second-serve points won (50.5).

MARIA SHARAPOVA (29)
Age: 22
Country: Russia
2009 Match Record: 22-7
2009 Singles Titles: 0
Career Singles Titles: 19
Major Titles: 3 — U.S. Open (’06), Australian Open (’08), Wimbledon (’04)
Last 5 U.S. Opens: ’08-DNP, ’07-3rd, ’06-W, ’05-SF, ’04-3rd
Topspin: Loss to Dementieva in Toronto represented first tournament final since Sharapova returned to tour after missing nearly 10 months of singles action because of right shoulder injury. ... Ranking just got back into top 30. ... Returning to Flushing Meadows after missing 2008 U.S. Open; had shoulder surgery in October.

KIM CLIJSTERS (Unseeded; unranked)
Age: 26
Country: Belgium
2009 Match Record: 5-2
2009 Singles Titles: 0
Career Singles Titles: 34
Major Titles: 1 — U.S. Open (’05)
Last 5 U.S. Opens: ’08-DNP, ’07-DNP, ’06-DNP, ’05-W, ’04-DNP
Topspin: Returns to the site of her one Grand Slam championship after recently coming out of retirement; was away from the game for two years, during which she got married and had a daughter. ... Made quite a comeback in her two hard-court tuneup tournaments, with victories over Kuznetsova, 2007 Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli, and Victoria Azarenka, who is seeded No. 8 at the U.S. Open.