American Lindsay Davenport [Images] will finish the season as the world number one for the fourth time in her career.
After world number two Kim Clijsters [Images] of Belgium was knocked out at the round-robin stage at the WTA Championships on Thursday, Davenport was again assured of the year-end top spot.
She has achieved the feat for the last two years despite failing to win a Grand Slam tournament, mirroring the situation in 2001.
She also ended as world number one in 1998, the year she won the U.S. Open.
Three times a Grand Slam winner in all, Davenport has captured 51 titles, six of them coming in 2005.
On Thursday, she fell to defending champion Maria Sharapova [Images] 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, but because she had already won two matches in her group qualified for the semi-finals along with Sharapova, Amelie Mauresmo and Mary Pierce.
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