Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark will finish at the top of the world rankings this year after she pulled off a 3-6, 6-1, 6-1 win over Francesca Schiavone at the WTA Tour Championships here on Thursday.

Wozniacki, 20, became the first Danish player to achieve the feat but it was not until midway through the second set did that happen.

Wozniacki joined Australia's Samantha Stosur as a semifinals qualifier from the maroon group at the expense of Elena Dementieva, the Olympic champion from Russia, who will be out even if she beats Schiavone on Friday.

The turning point came in the fourth game of the second set when Wozniacki appealed to the Hawkeye computerised replay system.

Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark holds small souvenir boats during their WTA Tour Championships tennis match in Doha October 28, 2010.

To the surprise of many she got an "out" call on her backhand cross-court reversed -- only for Schiavone to make her own, very animated appeal.

The Italian complained that the line judge's call had denied her a chance of trying to return the ball, but the umpire disagreed.

That annoyed Schiavone, firing her up to cling on to her service game for 1-3 after a long tussle. There immediately followed another lengthy struggle in which Wozniacki was made to survive two deuces before holding serve and reaching 4-1 for a stranglehold on the second set.

In the third, the Dane saved a break back point for 2-2 and followed it by winning the rally of the match.

【体坛英语资讯：Wozniacki beats Schiavone to secure year-end world No.1】相关文章：

★ 体坛英语资讯：Federer wins clash of titans

★ 体坛英语资讯：FA hold talks with Capello

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Xu Sanduo chosen as Baidu Logo Feature Person of the Month

★ 体坛英语资讯：Chinese football teams hopes to make most of lucky draws

★ 体坛英语资讯：Olympic basketball hopes in jeopardy: Yao

★ 体坛英语资讯：Arsenal back on top as Chelsea end goal drought

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Bruce Willis girlfriend strips off for lingerie campaign

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Britney Spears told to pay most of K-Feds fees

★ 娱乐英语资讯：Shakira: I dont need a wedding ring

★ 体坛英语资讯：Gatlin hires Landis lawyer to fight ban