Sharapova the star attraction in Tokyo

Eurosport - Sun, 27 Sep 10:05:00 2009

Crowd favourite Maria Sharapova returns to Tokyo where she won her first career WTA title six years ago to face a strong field at the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament.

TENNIS Maria Sharapova press conference in Tokyo 2009 - 0

Twenty five out of the top 30 players in the world will take part in $2 million event, which is now under way on the outdoor hard courts at the Ariake Coliseum.

Australian Open and Wimbledon champion Serena Williams withdrew with knee and toe injuries, joining Amelie Mauresmo of France with a stomach pain and Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia with a side injury.

Sharapova, the Russian former world number one who won the 2003 Japan Open singles and doubles titles for her first titles on the centre court here, suffered a right shoulder injury that saw her withdraw from the Australian Open.

Sharapova, currently ranked 25th this week, came back in action in May and reached the quarter-finals at the French Open, the semi-finals at Los Angeles and the final at Toronto.

It will be her first appearance on court since her surprise third-round defeat to up-and-coming American Melanie Oudin.

Sharapova, also the winner here in 2005, will play Francesca Schiavone of Italy in the first round, while the top eight women, led by defending champion Dinara Safina of Russia, will receive the first-round byes.

Sharapova was drawn in the same quarter with top-seeded Safina, another Russian Vera Zvonareva, Virginie Razzano of France and Australia's Samantha Stosur.

Also in the upper half were French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, US Open runner-up Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland and Nadia Petrova of Russia.

Second seed Venus Williams will lead the bottom half, which includes Beijing Olympic champion Elena Dementieva of Russia, former number one Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

Serbian Ana Ivanovic, China's Li Na, Marion Bartoli of France and Italy's Flavia Pennetta will challenge the top four players in the bottom half.

It will be the last tournament for former world doubles number one Ai Sugiyama of Japan, who has announced her retirement. Sugiyama will play 13th seed Petrova in the first round.

AFP

Comment 1 - 19 of 19

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  1. My beauty Maria,I can`t any comment for you,because I­ didn`t find you at any TV channel in USA.I`m very­ angry.

    From huseyin, on Mon 28 Sep 9:10PM

  2. I would also like an aggressive Maria ;)

    From Nicholas, on Mon 28 Sep 5:15PM

  3. She have to be more aggressive. I like an aggressive­ Maria.

    From penangan.milah, on Mon 28 Sep 3:21PM

  4. You are fine comrade sanchez,people are stupid and fail­ to understand deep significance of my important­ philosophical observations on the hugely important­ subject of tennis

    From attaha, on Mon 28 Sep 10:12AM

  5. somehow it leaves a bad taste in the mouth that attaha­ can be cloned and portrayed in this shameful manner.­ why can't we just take the man's viewpoint for­ what it is worth, you are actually showing your­ contempt for the readership of these boards, knowing­ too well they'll believe any rubbish any mischief­ maker writes (sadly true in most cases). its only fair­ that the real attaha should be judged on what he­ actually writes rather than what you want people to­ think of him. i liked the nigerian character with the­ blond and the gorilla by the way, what's happened­ to him?

    From sanchez.santos, on Mon 28 Sep 8:51AM

  6. Hello

    From Con, on Mon 28 Sep 1:39AM

  7. I you think I need shooting give me thumbs up you­ suckers

    From attaha, on Sun 27 Sep 10:08PM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Eueosport show us Sharapova's upper part as this­ where the steroid is effective in her make up

    From Augustine A, on Sun 27 Sep 9:20PM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Sharapova should start modelling ans stop tennis. Just­ like her country woman Kornikova.. Shye is manlike in­ modelling and can even model men's suite and­ underwear

    From Augustine A, on Sun 27 Sep 9:20PM

  10. If Maria gets her serve back, she will be the one to­ beat in 2010, no matter how many comebacks there will­ be (Henin, Clijsters, etc). Her groundstrokes are the­ best out there. Her mindset is where it should be. She­ just needs her serve!!! Work it, Maria.

    From LilBee, on Sun 27 Sep 8:11PM

  11. Once again Eurosport gets it wrong - the star­ attraction is Ai Sugiyama as it is her farewell­ tournament thus stealing the limelight from Sharapova

    From mohawk393939, on Sun 27 Sep 6:50PM

  12. Man, it must have taken many centuries of cold winds­ over those Russian steppes to create those cheeks.

    From Nabucodonosor, on Sun 27 Sep 6:31PM

  13. nabucondonosor dont mind attaha he is a sharapova­ stalker who is frustrated that he cant be with her, and­ yes i agree with you she looks stunning in that photo­ along with many many many others.

    From football4life, on Sun 27 Sep 5:52PM

  14. good luck Maria,she's one of the very few WTA­ players that I like to watch,the tour needs mentally­ strong players like her,not the weak ones like­ Dementieva,Jankovic,Ivanovic and Safina.

    From cero, on Sun 27 Sep 5:50PM

  15. What does it matter to you, attaha? You're gay­ anyway.

    From Nabucodonosor, on Sun 27 Sep 3:13PM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Sharapova is nit stunning. She is a man in female­ outfit..

    From Augustine A, on Sun 27 Sep 3:00PM

  17. Am I the only one who thinks she looks stunning in that­ photo?

    From Nabucodonosor, on Sun 27 Sep 1:51PM

  18. You're not mad, you're an idiot.

    From Nabucodonosor, on Sun 27 Sep 12:25PM

  19. If you think I am completely mad give me thumbs up

    From attaha, on Sun 27 Sep 10:53AM
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