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 [ Images ] and Mary Pierce [ Images ].