Venus thrilled at becoming 10th number one

Venus Williams is thrilled at becoming the 10th world number one in the history of the women's rankings and vowed on Tuesday to build on the achievement.

The powerful American is guaranteed to overtake compatriot Jennifer Capriati when the new list is released on Monday.

Capriati, current titleholder at the Australian and French Opens, is not defending the 141 points she earned in Oklahoma City last year, which means that whatever Venus does in Dubai, she will move ahead by at least five points next Monday.

The gap will be widened with each match she wins in Dubai.

She will be the fourth number one in the past four months following Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport and Capriati.

"I'm very excited about this achievement and look forward to building on it," she told the WTA on Tuesday.

Wiliams, who will become the first African-American number one since Arthur Ashe topped the men's rankings in 1975, added: "Being number one was firstly my parents' dream, but it soon became mine too.

"So reaching it was great not only for me, but for them too."

STARK CONTRAST

Williams said her plans to celebrate at this stage only consisted of attempting to win the Dubai Open, where she is top seed.

So far in 2002, Williams has won three of the four tournaments she has played -- Gold Coast, Paris and Antwerp.

Her commitment this season is in stark contrast to some of her earlier efforts when she has been criticised for lack of enthusiasm for the sport.

Supremely talented and enigmatic in equal measure, her rise to the top has been interrupted by her decision to take long periods off the WTA Tour.

It has meant the student of fashion design -- twice Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion -- has never played enough events to capture the ranking her ability deserves.

It is unusual for a player who wins two Grand Slams in a year to end it anywhere other than number one, but convention has never sat easily on Venus's shoulders.

However, she is finally beginning to play a full schedule and the honour of reaching top spot could hardly be more perfectly timed.