PARIS - Serena Williams held onto the number one spot in the WTA world rankings on Monday, after Angelique Kerber slipped to defeat against Karolina Pliskova in the final of the Cincinnati hardcourt tournament.
Serena Williams is now just three weeks away from breaking Steffi Graf's record for the longest stint at the top of the rankings
Germany's Kerber would have ended 22-time major champion Williams' run of 184 consecutive weeks as world number one if she had claimed the title.
But the reigning Australian Open champion was beaten 6-3, 6-1 by Czech Pliskova, who moves up from 17th to 11th.
American Williams, who withdrew from her Cincinnati title defence with an injury, is now just three weeks away from breaking Steffi Graf's record for the longest stint at the top of the rankings.
The only change in the top 10 sees Agnieszka Radwanska retake fourth spot from Simona Halep, who was beaten by Kerber in the semi-finals.
WTA top 20
1. Serena Williams (USA) 7,050 pts
2. Angelique Kerber (GER) 6,860
3. Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 5,830
4. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) 5,340 (+1)
5. Simona Halep (ROM) 5,151 (-1)
6. Venus Williams (USA) 4,005
7. Victoria Azarenka (BLR) 3,551
8. Roberta Vinci (ITA) 3,465
9. Madison Keys (USA) 3,341
10. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 3,190
11. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 3,135 (+6)
12. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 3,100
13. Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 3,100 (-2)
14. Johanna Konta (GBR) 2,905 (-1)
15. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 2,865 (-1)
16. Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) 2,713 (-1)
17. Samantha Stosur (AUS) 2,370 (-1)
18. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) 2,195
19. Barbora Strycova (CZE) 2,050 (+1)
20. Elena Vesnina (RUS) 1,967 (+1)