Tennis: Sharapova in Lisicki rematch

Maria Sharapova returns to a happy hunting ground to defend the star-studded Pan Pacific Open women's tennis tournament starting in Japan on Sunday.Twenty six out of the world's top 30 players will take part in the two-million-dollar hard court tournament, with only Kim Clijsters, Serena and Venus Williams and Justine Henin missing.Sharapova won her first WTA singles and doubles titles at the 2003 Japan Open in Tokyo, and earned her first professional title on the ITF Circuit series in Gunma, north of the capital, a year earlier.

Maria Sharapova returns to a happy hunting ground to defend the star-studded Pan Pacific Open women's tennis tournament starting in Japan on Sunday.Twenty six out of the world's top 30 players will take part in the two-million-dollar hard court tournament, with only Kim Clijsters, Serena and Venus Williams and Justine Henin missing.Sharapova won her first WTA singles and doubles titles at the 2003 Japan Open in Tokyo, and earned her first professional title on the ITF Circuit series in Gunma, north of the capital, a year earlier.

Defending champion Maria Sharapova will return to Tokyo next month, spearheading the star-studded Pan Pacific Open women's tennis tournament, organisers said on Monday.Twenty-seven players out of the current world top 30 will take part in the two-million-dollar hard court tournament from September 26 to October 2, with only Kim Clijsters, Venus Williams and Justine Henin missing.Sharapova captured her first WTA singles and doubles titles at the 2003 Japan Open, and also won her first professional title on the ITF Circuit series in Gunma, north of Tokyo, a year earlier.

Maria Sharapova is dating Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov. Dimitrov is an up-and-comer, but far from a household name among casual tennis fans.

In her first public relationship since breaking off her engagement to NBA player Sasha Vujacic, Maria Sharapova is apparently dating tennis player Grigor Dimitrov. The two were spotted kissing on the streets of Madrid last night, where Dimitrov is playing in the Madrid Open.

Russian Vera Zvonareva, ranked number three in the world, advanced to the semi-finals of the WTA premier hardcourt tournament here on Wednesday with a straight sets win over Agnieszka Radwanska.Zvonareva, seeded third, defeated the ninth-seeded Pole 7-5, 6-3.In the semi-finals she will face the winner of Wednesday's match between second-seeded Belgian Kim Clijsters or eighth-seeded Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.Thursday's other semi-final has already been set with Germany's Andrea Petkovic due to take on Russian Maria Sharapova.

Reigning US Open champion Kim Clijsters advanced to the WTA Cincinnati Open final after Serbia's Ana Ivanovic injured her left foot only 12 minutes into their match and retired in tears.Belgian fourth seed Clijsters led 2-1 after breaking Ivanovic in the third game, but the showdown of former world number ones would end after only 25 points being played and with the Serbian's US Open hopes in great jeopardy.Clijsters will play in her third final of the year against the winner of a later semi-final between Russians Maria Sharapova and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki and former world number one Maria Sharapova booked a fourth-round showdown with straight-set US Open triumphs on Saturday while Roger Federer cruised into the last 16 as well.Danish 20-year-old Wozniacki, last year's US Open runner-up, routed Taiwan's Chan Yung-Jan 6-1, 6-0, while Russian 14th seed Sharapova, whose three Grand Slam titles include the 2006 US Open, blanked American Beatrice Capra 6-0, 6-0.