Australian Open champ Wozniacki top of rankings

Paris - Caroline Wozniacki moved to the top of the WTA rankings released on Monday on the back of her maiden Grand Slam triumph at the Australian Open.

The 27-year-old Dane usurped Romanian Simona Halep whom she beat in an epic Melbourne final, reclaiming the number one ranking six years to the day since she last relinquished it.

Halep dropped to number two while former number one, German Angelique Kerber, who lost in the semi-finals to the Romanian, climbed seven places to ninth.

The other beaten semi-finalist, Belgium's Elise Mertens, climbed 17 spots to 20th.

American Venus Williams dropped three places to eighth following her first round loss.

Top 20 in the latest WTA Tour rankings:

1. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 7 965 points

2. Simona Halep (ROM) 7 715

3. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 6 085

4. Garbine Muguruza (ESP) 5 690

5. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 5 445

6. Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 4 901

7. Caroline Garcia (FRA) 4 495

8. Venus Williams (USA) 4 278

9. Angelique Kerber (GER) 3 031

10. Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 2 935

11. Johanna Konta (GBR) 2 825

12. Julia Goerges (GER) 2 825

13. Sloane Stephens (USA) 2 813

14. Madison Keys (USA) 2 644

15. Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) 2 540

16. Ashleigh Barty (AUS) 2 486

17. Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) 2 462

18. Coco Vandeweghe (USA) 2 434

19. Magdalena Rybarikova (RUS) 2 363

20. Elise Mertens (BEL) 2 215