Maria Sharapova

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Russia’s Maria Sharapova is set to regain the women’s world number one ranking after Amelie Mauresmo’s surprise defeat in the Australian Open fourth round on Sunday.

After current top-spot holder Justine Henin-Hardenne withdrew from the Melbourne Park event for personal reasons, Sharapova ensured there would be a new No. 1 by reaching the last 16 at the year’s first grand slam.

Sharapova and Mauresmo were set to vie for the elite ranking but with the French reigning champion’s defeat in Melbourne and the Russian having fewer points to defend, most of the permutations were made redundant.

Only third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova can deprive her fellow Russian of top spot if she wins the tournament and U.S. Open champion Sharapova loses her fourth-round match to Vera Zvonareva on Monday.

Mauresmo has spent 39 weeks as the world number one in her career, while Sharapova, who last topped the rankings in August 2005, has enjoyed the honor for seven weeks.

Kim Clijsters, Martina Hingis and Serena Williams are the only other remaining women at the Melbourne Park event to have held the top ranking.

MELBOURNE, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Russia’s Maria Sharapova will regain the world number one ranking after Amelie Mauresmo and Svetlana Kuznetsova suffered surprise defeats in the Australian Open fourth round on Sunday.

After current top-spot holder Justine Henin-Hardenne withdrew from the Melbourne Park event for personal reasons, Sharapova ensured there would be a new No. 1 by reaching the last 16 at the year’s first grand slam.

Sharapova and Frenchwoman Mauresmo were set to vie for the elite ranking but with the defending champion’s defeat in Melbourne and the Russian having fewer points to defend, most of the permutations were made redundant.

Only third seed Kuznetsova could have deprived her fellow Russian of top spot if she had won the tournament and U.S. Open champion Sharapova lost her fourth-round match to Vera Zvonareva on Monday. That equation was also scratched on Sunday after Kuznetsova fell to Israel’s Shahar Peer.

Mauresmo has spent 39 weeks as the world number one in her career, while Sharapova, who last topped the rankings in August 2005, has enjoyed the honour for seven weeks.

Kim Clijsters, Martina Hingis and Serena Williams are the only other remaining women at the Melbourne Park event to have held the top ranking.

MELBOURNE, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Top seed Maria Sharapova edged out Vera Zvonareva 7-5 6-4 to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals for the third time in her career on Monday.

The 19-year-old Russian clinched a tight opening set to take the initiative and despite recovering from 5-2 down in the second, the 22nd seed could not fend off Sharapova, who won in an hour and 46 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

Sharapova was grateful to come through in relatively quick time after a draining week of action at Melbourne Park and against an opponent who had beaten her twice in their five career meetings.

“It was very good to win in two sets today because I’ve had some tough matches against her. I came up with three really good shots to win it at the end there,” she said in a courtside interview.

Sharapova, who will regain the world number one ranking at the end of the tournament, served solidly in the first and did not concede a break point throughout.

She sealed her own break with a crunching forehand drive and Zvonareva swiped her racket at the floor in frustration.

Sharapova took the momentum into the second set, breaking in Zvonareva’s first service game and making it a double break when a double fault gave her a 5-2 advantage.

Zvonareva briefly threatened a revival when she broke the Sharapova serve and then held her own to pull back to 5-4 but the U.S. Open champion clung on, sealing victory with another forehand winner.

Sharapova, a semi-finalist the last two years here, plays her third fellow Russian of the tournament in the last eight when she faces 12th seed Anna Chakvetadze.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (TICKER) — Maria Sharapova is finding her form at the Australian Open.

The top seed from Russia, Sharapova rolled into the fourth round at the year’s first major with a 6-3, 6-1 rout of No. 30 Tathiana Garbin of Italy on Saturday.

Sharapova nearly was stunned by Camille Pin of France in the first round but dropped just three games against countrywoman Anastassia Rodionova on Thursday and was nearly as efficient against Garbin.

“I think with every single match, you know, it’s going to get tougher and you know that you have to improve,” Sharapova said. “I try to look at this match a little bit, see what I still think I need to get better.”

The reigning U.S. Open champion, Sharapova will oppose Vera Zvonareva in the round of 16 after the 22nd-seeded Russian surprisingly dominated 13th-seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic, 6-1, 6-2.

Sixth seed and three-time champion Martina Hingis of Switzerland moved on with a 6-2, 6-1 rout of Japan’s Aiko Nakamura. Hingis will take on either No. 9 Dinara Safina of Russia or No. 19 Na Li of China in the fourth round and will have an extra day to prepare, as their third-round match was postponed until Sunday because of steady rain.

“Well, it’s always a great feeling to be in the second week of a Grand Slam,” Hingis said. “That’s what you come here for. Being seeded sixth, that’s what you expect, at least. I’m happy I was able to at least fulfill my commitment so far.”

Nobody dropped fewer games in the first two rounds of the women’s draw than Kim Clijsters, and the fourth seed from Belgium continued her strong play with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph over No. 29 Alona Bondarenko of the Ukraine.

The 23-year-old Clijsters, who has said she will retire at the end of the year, posted a “double-bagel” victory over Russian Vasilisa Bardina in the first round Tuesday and followed with a 6-3, 6-0 rout of Japan’s Akiko Morigami two days later.

“I didn’t get tested at all in the first three matches,” Clijsters said. “I saved all my energy. I think that’s a good thing to take with me into the second week.

“(But) everything needs to get better. As you play better players, you automatically play better. I think everything from the serve to the return, everything has to be a little bit more focused, little bit more powerful. Just everything has to be better, I think, when you play the better players.”

Clijsters, who won her lone Grand Slam at the 2005 U.S. Open, will meet either No. 15 Daniela Hantuchova or American Ashley Harkleroad in the fourth round. Their match also was pushed back a day because of the weather.

Harkleroad and Serena Williams are the only American women remaining in the draw.

Eighth-seeded Swiss Patty Schnyder rallied past Australian Alicia Molik, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, in a night match. She next will play either 12th-seeded Russian Anna Chakvetadze or Jelena Kostanic Tosic of Croatia, whose match was postponed.

World number 17 Daniela Hantuchova could miss the Australian Open due to illness.

It is thought that the 23-year-old Slovakian may have picked up a virus, although doctors have yet to diagnose her illness.

Hantuchova’s mother, Marianna revealed: “The health of Daniela is really not good. She has a high temperature, she is in bad condition and Australian doctors do not know the reason of her illness.

“We hope and we believe she will play in Melbourne but her participation is really not sure right now.”

Hantuchova has participated in the Australian grand slam tournament for the last five years and reached the quarter-finals in 2003.

Defending U.S. Open champion Maria Sharapova has signed a deal with PepsiCo Inc. to endorse Gatorade and Tropicana.

The deal is scheduled to be publicly announced Wednesday. Terms of the pact have not been released.

‘It’s about what’s inside of your body, what makes you the individual you are,’ Sharapova said. ‘As for myself, I think it’s the competitiveness that I bring out on the court and the drive that I have within me.’

Sharapova finished last year behind only Justine Henin-Hardenne in the WTA Tour points rankings, and the deal with Gatorade and Tropicana adds to her rapidly growing list of major endorsements worldwide.

The 2004 Wimbledon champion, who doesn’t turn 20 until this April, signed a ‘lifetime’ deal with racket and apparel company Prince last year for a reported $25 million. She also endorses Canon, Colgate, Nike, Tag Heuer, Land Rover and others.

Her estimated annual income from endorsements, appearance fees, prize money and other sources is believed to be somewhere in the $30 million range.

‘Not only is Maria Sharapova one of the world’s best athletes, but she exemplifies a healthy lifestyle both on and off the court,’ said PepsiCo senior vice president Ron Coughlin. ‘We know she will be a tremendous ambassador for both Gatorade and Tropicana.’

Company officials said Sharapova will lead a global hydration education campaign, plus star in a new Gatorade ad to launch early this year.

Sharapova is the top seed in this week’s Watson’s Water Champion Challenge in Hong Kong, which is set to be her final tuneup for the Australian Open.

PepsiCo, based in Purchase, N.Y., is the second biggest U.S. soft drink maker behind The Coca Cola Co. and also owns the Frito-Lay snacks business and Quaker foods.

Copyright © 2007 The Orlando Sentinel, All Rights Reserved.

Belgium’s Kim Clijsters made a winning start to her final season on Saturday, beating world number two Maria Sharapova 6-3, 7-6 (8) in the final of the Champions Challenge exhibition tournament in Hong Kong.

In a duel between the 2005 and 2006 US Open champions, Clijsters rallied from 2-3 down to win the first set with an ace.

Sharapova missed a backhand to give Clijsters the break in the first game of the second set. The Russian used heavy hitting to break back in the fourth game to level 2-2.

Clijsters’ ground strokes proved the more accurate, but her game was let down by her serving. She double faulted on break point in the sixth game to give Sharapova a 4-2 lead.

At 6-6, Sharapova, who won Wimbledon in 2004, squandered a 4-1 lead in the tiebreaker with three consecutive errors.

Clijsters hit a backhand winner to save set point, a mishit backhand by Sharapova gave her match point, then the Belgian converted by charging the net and hitting a forehand volley winner.

Sharapova, who is using the Champions Challenge as her only preparation for the Australian Open, starting on January 15, said she isn’t worried about her form.

“You’re never going to guarantee a win in every single match,” she said.

“At some points in the match I felt a little bit flat. I’d like to get myself going. Other than that, I’m happy with the match I played here.”

Clijsters, who has long said 2007 will be her final year on the WTA Tour as she is eager to start a family, isn’t approaching this season with the preoccupation that it’s her last.

“I’m not thinking about that at all,” she said. “It’s not something I want to worry about until that last match is there. I know this is the last time I’m going to be here, but to me, my goal is to still improve my tennis.”

Clijsters, who has won WTA 33 titles, said earlier this week she’s been frustrated by her injuries in the past few years.

Sapa-AP

MARIA Sharapova shrugged off a less than convincing start to her Australian Open preparations with a three-set semi-final win over Russian compatriot Elena Dementieva in Hong Kong overnight.

The world No.2 overcame the jitters that also marked her quarter-final win over Yan Zi from China to defeat the 2004 French and US Open finalist 3-6 6-3 6-2.

The victory booked Sharapova a final berth alongside world No.5 Kim Clijsters, who defeated Patty Schnyder 4-6 6-4 6-4 in the other semi-final.

“I felt like I improved as the match went on,” Sharapova, who lost her serve three times in the opening set, and twice in quick succession early in the second, said.

Sharapova, the reigning US Open champion, secured the second set in a blistering 15-minute game and subsequently never looked like losing.

A downhearted Dementieva blamed her loss on her serve.

“I have to work on the serve,” she said.

“it is the weakest part of my game.

“In an exhibition match like this, I like to mix up the shots, but Maria was pretty solid in coming back at each of them.”

Clijsters meanwhile produced another powerhouse performance against Schnyder.

The big-serving Belgian’s sheer power finally won through against the tiny Swiss.

Agence France-Presse