by Ally White
Former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova finally (re-)experienced success after a 10-month layoff from tennis. The unseeded Sharapova took the title at Saturday's Pan Pacific Open final after 7th-seed Jelena Jankovic retired in the first set due to a wrist injury. Her withdrawal did not, however, bring joy to Sharapova, who wanted to win the final through her own efforts. Nevertheless, the Russian understood the need for withdrawal; the tennis star had had surgery on her should last October, not returning to tennis until May.
The title is Sharapova's first since her surgery and the 20th of her career. Her last title was attained in April of 2008 at Amelia Island.
Sharapova got off to a rough start; the Servian Janovik began strong, breaking her Russian opponent's serve and taking a 2-0 lead. Sharapova, however, rallied and took the next four games. By the time Jankovic took a timeout to have her right arm examined by her trainer, Sharapova had taken the lead in the first match 5-2. The Serb managed just two more points after the medical timeout before deciding to withdraw.
After Jankovic left the court, Sharapova expressed her disappointment but nonetheless hoped for the Serb's quick recovery.
"It was a tough start today. Jelena started off so strong. It's disappointing. It's toward the end of the year and there are a lot of injuries so I wish Jelena a speedy recovery. It was my second final of the year and I was a bit nervous. But I played well enough this week to know I could give her a good match. I just wanted to keep fighting out there and unfortunately Jelena had to stop," said the Russian.
Tokyo is the place in where the 22-year-old Russian attained her first WTA singles and doubles titles, at the 2003 Japan Open.
With this most recent victory, Sharapova is looking forward to her last event of the season at the Beijing tournament, where she hopes to play in top form. After Beijing, Sharapova will prepare herself for the offseason, during which she will train even harder for a strong 2010 performance.
"I have one more tournament left in Beijing. During the off-season, I'll be training and working on my game. It's going to be really a good time for me to create a good base. Actually I have a good enough time to prepare for the next year. I'm really looking forward to the period," Sharapove said.
Jankovic, on the other hand, will try to rehabilitate her arm before the Beijing tournament, but also said that her entry would depend on her doctor's advice. If a short-term recovery becomes unlikely, she will prepare herself for the offseason.
The best of luck to these two great tennis players; hopefully both players will be able to demonstrate their great superb athletic skills at Beijing and prepare for an even better year next season.
About the Author
Ally White is a top senior copy writer for the international tennis championships as well as the top ranking sportsbetting:www.instantactionsports.com/uk Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.
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