Sharapova cops title on silver platter
TOKYO – Maria Sharapova took a step forward in her comeback Saturday even though her first title since a 10-month layoff was cut short by injury to her opponent.
Former No. 1-ranked Sharapova won her first tournament since undergoing surgery on her right shoulder a year ago when Jelena Jankovic was forced to retire in the first set of the Toray Pan Pacific final.
Sharapova was leading 5-2 when the seventh-seeded Jankovic took a timeout to have her right arm examined by the trainer.
The Serbian player returned to the court and lost the first two points of the eighth game before retiring.
“It’s disappointing,” Sharapova said. “It’s toward the end of the year and there are a lot of injuries so I wish Jelena a speedy recovery.”
It was Sharapova’s first title since Amelia Island in April, 2008, and she said her performance over the entire tournament in Tokyo was a boost to her confidence.
“This tournament was a really good challenge for me,” Sharapova said. “Having to play six matches in six days, I knew it was going to be a good test of what I can do.” (AP)
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