Maria Sharapova won the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo this weekend. It’s her first title since coming back from shoulder surgery this May, after a nearly ten month long injury layoff. Her last title came at Amelia Island in April, 2008.
It was her opponent, Jelena Jankovic, who suffered from shoulder problems, retiring at 2-5 down in the first set.
“It’s never easy to win a match like this.“ Sharapova said afterwards. “Obviously, it’s very important for Jelena to be healthy and we want to compete at our 100%.” (via BBC)
At this point in the year, Maria may be benefiting from having had a shorter season than the other pros. But regardless of how she won it, getting this title is a comeback confidence booster. (Not a Clijsters-sized boost, of course, but at least the trophy’s nice.)
Loading ...And Maria still has enough gas in the tank to take part in the inaugural “Maria Sharapova South American Tour,” a series of three exhibition matches vs. Gisela Dulko, scheduled for late November/early December in Brazil, Chile and Argentina. She will reportedly make close to a million dollars in appearance fees. (via Tennis Week)
