IF you stopped a thousand New Yorkers on the streets of Manhattan and asked them to name the world No.1 in women’s tennis, some would suggest one of the Williams sisters, a few would say Maria Sharapova, the America-based Russian. Others would probably just give you a blank look. But the public’s confusion and indifference over the identity of the top player is likely to continue, as the world No.1 at the end of the US Open could be anyone of six females.

Six is a record — the competition to go to the top of the bill has never been so open, and yet never seemed so devalued.

As Ana Ivanovic’s involvement at the US Open had been in some doubt because of a thumb injury, it was not altogether that surprising that she struck so many errors in beating Russian Vera Dushevina over three sets for a place in the second round, that she didn’t look like the alpha female of the courts, the all-controlling world No.1. The 20-year-old Serbian could be replaced here by one of Jelena Jankovic, Serena Williams, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Dinara Safina or Elena Dementieva.

In fact, the only player in the current top seven who can’t take the lead ranking in New York is Maria Sharapova, and that is because a recurring shoulder injury means the closest she will get to the court is the glammed-up guest appearance she made in a television commentary booth.

If Ivanovic is bumped off the top here, it will hardly feel like a seminal moment in the history of the women’s game. In the men’s game, Rafael Nadal overtaking Roger Federer was a big deal, as it was both an electronic and symbolic end to the Swiss’s era. But a switch for the women carries little of the same weight and significance — it has seemed recently as though players have reached the top almost by default. Ivanovic is now in her second week of her second period as the world No.1. In between Ivanovic’s two stints, Jankovic became the No.1 without hitting a ball. And she stayed there for just a week, to be replaced again by Ivanovic. Jankovic was arguably the weakest world No.1 in history — here is a player who is yet to appear in a Grand Slam final, let alone win a major.

This has a lot to do with this year’s sudden retirement of Justine Henin, who became the first woman in history to quit while at the very top. And the Williams sisters, although they always have it in them to do well at the Slams, as they did at this summer’s Wimbledon, no longer control the courts. Women’s tennis is missing a dominant figure.

Lindsay Davenport, who once held the top ranking, argued that the “confusion” at the top was not good news for women’s tennis. “I mean, it’s kind of weird that they’re switching week to week with no tournaments. You know, it’s a little bit unfortunate as you would have rather have a clear-cut No.1, or a really fantastic race like they have on the men’s side where the players are winning the big ones to become world No.1,” the American said. “I think the weekly changes cause confusion. As players we’re used to it. But the fans don’t really know. They’re thinking, ‘Oh, who’s No.1 this week, or is it a big deal now or not?’” And Billie Jean King takes a similar view. “You really need someone who stays there, lives there, likes it,” King said. “Some players get there, and they’re scared.”

Ever since winning her first Grand Slam title at the French Open, Ivanovic has had a wretched time, including losing in the third round of Wimbledon, and having to withdraw from the Beijing Olympics with a thumb injury. She flew from Beijing to Australia to see a doctor, and then on to New York.