Maria Sharapova to play in Japan in the Pan Pacific Open

Maria Sharapova has confirmed that she will play in the Pan Pacific Open event in January 2007. The former Wimbledon champion will be one of three top-10 Female Players to feature in the Tokyo tournament, which comes off the back of the first Grand Slam event of the season, the Australian Open.

Martina Hingis, seventh in the WTA rankings, and Russia's Elena Dementieva will also feature in the Pan Pacific event, but much of the focus will be on Maria.

Maria Sharapova will go in search of her second Pan Pacific title having claimed victory in 2005 and is likely to start the tournament as favourite. The Japanese tournament starts on January 30, just a couple of days after the conclusion of the Australian Open, in which Maria Sharapova will be hoping to improve on her best finish having reached the semi-final stage in 2005 and 2006.

Maria Sharapova will return to Tokyo next January to defend the $1.3 million Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament.

“To all Japanese fans, many thanks for your great support in the Pan Pacific Open 2005. I’m looking forward to coming back to the Pan Pacific Open 2006 as a defending champion,” said Maria in a written message to the organisers.

Tokyo is a good hunting ground for Maria Sharapova, who captured her first WTA singles and doubles titles at the Japan Open in October 2003 and defended it last year. She went on to win the “Tier I” event here one of the 10 biggest tournaments other than the four Grand Slams and the season-ending championship by beating American world number one Lindsay Davenport in the final. Tournament director Toshio Noji said: “Previously in this tournament, the champion eventually became the world number one at the end of each year. Hopefully, Maria will come back to Tokyo as the new world number one.”