WTA Jan 31-Feb 5: Tokyo Indoor-- Toray Pan Pacific Open The Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium-- click for interactive satellite photo of Tokyo Toray Pan Pacific Open, Tokyo, JPN Tier I $1,340,000 - 28 players - indoor: carpet scores & draws - qualifying draw WTA pdf.: draws & OOP - match notes Sports: Japan Times - Asahi - Yomiuri Tokyo: radar - forecast venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium website: (in Japanese) Japan map - local transit - subway map - News: Japan - Tokyo # 4 Maria Sharapova, # 9 Elena Dementieva # 12 Anastasia Myskina, # 13 Nathalie Dechy & Martina Hingis

Tokyo Pan Pacific tourney pages: 2007 - 2005 - 2004 previous   other tourney pages     next Tokyo: #9 Elena Dementieva 5' 11", 141 lbs; RH, 2H-BH Tokyo: 5th WTA singles title 1st Tier I WTA title Photos: Yahoo! news pics - tourney gallery - WTA gallery

    In the final of the Pan Pacific Open on Sunday in Tokyo, 24-year-old 2nd-seeded # 9 Elena Dementieva from Moscow, Russia, a finalist at Roland Garros and the US Open in 2004, won her first Tier I WTA title by soundly defeating 25-year-old unseeded & unranked former WTA # 1 (# 117 this week, but last week's rankings were used for the draw) Martina Hingis from Trubbach, Switzerland, 6-2, 6-0 (Elena is shown after match point, and Martina & Elena with their fine new tableware).
    Elena's usual weakness, her serve, did not trouble her today. Martina appeared "sluggish" at the start of the match, and when she tried to combat Elena's solid groundstrokes by taking the net, Elena effectively lobbed the ball over Martina for winners.

    Elena said: "I love to do passing shots. When [Martina] started to come to the net, I could see she didn't like my groundstrokes, and was trying to change the pace. I was able to use those lobs effectively...
    "I felt like I played up to my potential today. I just went for all of my shots and I was serving pretty well also. [Martina is] a great champion, and I was happy for the opportunity to play her here for my first Tier I title. It means a lot to me that the fans here in Japan have been great in supporting the tournament all week." AP story - WTA story

    Martina said: "I'm not looking for any excuses. [Elena] was just too good today. I've had a very good start to my comeback and I will go home with my head up...
    "It used to be I had to play both Williams sisters and Lindsay Davenport, now it's the Russians. I am proud of my week, I have surpassed all my expectations of my comeback and feel very good knowing I can go out there and play with the best players in the world."

    (Jan 29, 2006) Surprisingly, Brenda Schultz-McCarthy played in the Tokyo Toray Pan Pacific Open qualifying. Brenda defeated Cara Black in the 1st round, 7-5, 6-2. Brenda, a former top-10 player who won seven WTA singles titles during her big(6'2")-serving career, retired in 1999, and is now 35 years old. In the 2nd round, Brenda was defeated by # 101 Saori Obata 6-3, 7-5. Saori no doubt said: "Sorry about that."

    Tokyo time is GMT (UCT, ZULU) +9 hours (Pacific Time+17, often=the next day, 7 hours earlier; ET+20).

WTA SCOREBOARD: Toray Pan Pacific Open at Tokyo s=seed, #=rank, *=upset, LL=lucky loser ranks are for the previous week How do players get into the "draw"? On Sunday (or Monday?) in Tokyo, Elena Dementieva, Anastasia Myskina, Jelena Jankovic, and Ai Sugiyama played in a pro-am event. Martina Hingis & Maria Sharapova were among the players facing reporters on Monday. About Martina's comeback after a three-year retirement due to ankle injuries, Maria said: "I'm sure [Martina] will quickly get into the top 10."

Tokyo Pan Pacific, 1st Rd, Tue-Wed 11am loser: $8,790 US 1 points #16 s5 Nicole Vaidisova CZE d #108 LL Rika Fujiwara JPN 6-3, 6-1 Tue Nicole launching a backhand, and at the player party on Monday with Tatiana Golovin #17 s6 Daniela Hantuchova SVK d #23 Jelena Jankovic SCG 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 Tue Daniela after winning a point     Daniela said: "I wasn't aggressive enough in the first set, so after that, I told myself to hang in there and wait for my shots. I definitely feel like I always play well in Tokyo, and I think I'm off to a good start this week. I love the court here. I like the speed. It's like grass, which is my favourite surface. I always enjoy coming here, and hopefully this week, I'll go a few steps further in the draw." WTA story #18 s7 Elena Likhovtseva RUS d #39 Shinobu Asagoe JPN 6-3, 6-2 Wed Shinobu at the player party on Monday (no current photo of Elena was available) #22 s8 Ana Ivanovic SCG d #27 Ai Sugiyama JPN 6-3, 6-0 Tue Ana and Ai's backhands, and Ana at the player party on Monday with Katarina Srebotnik (and Kveta Peschke, in the background sipping some wine) *#28 Marion Bartoli FRA d #24 Tatiana Golovin FRA 6-3, 6-0 Tue Tatiana's forehand; Marion's backhand, and Marion at the player party on Monday with Elena Dementieva (who speaks French) & Anastasia Myskina #25 Maria Kirilenko RUS d #73 q Mara Santangelo ITA 6-4, 6-1 Tue Maria's forehand, and Maria with her pal Maria Sharapova at the player party on Monday #31 Klara Koukalova CZE d #55 Jie Zheng CHN 7-5, 7-6(2) Wed Jie, who won the Australian Open doubles title last week with Zi Yan, firing a forehand, and at the player party with Miho Saeko (no current photo of Klara was available) #35 Katarina Srebotnik SLO d #51 Jill Craybas USA 7-6(8), 6-3 Tue *#101 q Saori Obata JPN d #37 Kveta Peschke CZE 6-2, 6-1 Tue *#98 Samantha Stosur AUS d #59 wc Aiko Nakamura JPN 6-1, 6-3 Wed *#NR wc Martina Hingis SUI d #61 LL Yoon Jeong Cho KOR 6-0, 6-0 Wed Martina's forehand and backhand     Martina lost only 5 points in the 14-minute 1st set, and one of those was by double fault. Martina said: "It was a good start. I probably exceeded my expectations in Australia and that confidence showed today. It shows the potential is there and I'm improving every week." Reuters story - Reuters feature story #70 q Lisa Raymond USA d #118 q Meilen Tu USA 6-1, 6-3 Wed

Tokyo Pan Pacific, 2nd Rd, Wed-Thu 11am loser: $16,370 US 42 points #4 s1 Maria Sharapova RUS d #70 q Lisa Raymond USA 6-4, 6-4 Thu Maria firing a forehand, belting a backhand, and after winning a point     2005 Pan Pacific Open champ Maria said: "When I had the opportunity to win [the match], I did. But I think I will play better. If I keep improving I definitely feel confident I can win [this tournament] again." Reuters story #9 s2 Elena Dementieva RUS d #35 Katarina Srebotnik SLO 2-6, 6-1, 7-5 Wed Elena and Katarina's forehands #12 s3 Anastasia Myskina RUS d #31 Klara Koukalova CZE 6-4, 6-4 Thu Anastasia's forehand, and Klara and Anastasia's backhands *#NR wc Martina Hingis SUI d #13 s4 Nathalie Dechy FRA 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 Thu Nathalie's forehand, Martina's backhand, and Martina after match point     Martina fell behind 1-3 in the 1st set. Martina said: "I was a little nervous and [Nathalie] pushed me, but once I felt safe from the baseline I started dictating. In the last set and a half I started reading her returns and reacting better."     Nathalie said: "[Martina] just hung in there and got better as the match went on. Her steadiness and depth made it difficult for me during the whole match. She kept improving during the match. Martina is playing really well. Her game hasn’t changed too much from before. She still takes the ball really early and still has unbelievably good hand-and-eye coordination. When she stopped playing before, she was good. And now, she has a lot of confidence from the Australian Open." WTA story #16 s5 Nicole Vaidisova CZE d #101 q Saori Obata JPN 6-4, 6-4 Wed Nicole's forehand and backhand *#98 Samantha Stosur AUS d #17 s6 Daniela Hantuchova SVK 7-6(5), 6-2 Thu Samantha serving, and Daniela awaiting Samantha's serve #18 s7 Elena Likhovtseva RUS d #28 Marion Bartoli FRA 6-2, 7-5 Thu Elena preparing to serve, and Marion, who hits two-handed on both sides, awaiting Elena's serve *#25 Maria Kirilenko RUS d #22 s8 Ana Ivanovic SCG 6-4, 6-4 Thu Maria punching a backhand volley, and Ana's backhand drive

Tokyo Pan Pacific, QFs, Fri 1pm WTA story loser: $30,485 US 75 points #4 s1 Maria Sharapova RUS d #98 Samantha Stosur AUS 6-1, 6-4 Maria launching a cannonball serve, Samantha between points, Maria banging a backhand and after winning a point     Maria said: "In the beginning of the match I wanted to dictate from the first point, I think it was very important... In the second set, [Samantha] didn't make as many errors as she did in the first set and we had longer rallies, but on important points I was able to get the returns deep and put pressure on her."     About playing her semifinal opponent, former # 1 Martina Hingis, for the first time, Maria said: "I'm looking forward to playing Martina. She's a great champion and it should be a great match. On this surface, I have to come out strong and hold my serve and try to return well.     "The best part of her game is she reads the ball so well and takes it early, so I have to try and not give her time, especially because the court is faster, and I will also try to attack. She moves around the court very well." #9 s2 Elena Dementieva RUS d #16 s5 Nicole Vaidisova CZE 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 Elena preparing to serve, Nicole's backhand, and Elena at her post-match press interview     Elena said: "This is my fifth time here and this semifinal result is my best so far, so I'm very happy. I've been working on my serve, and I'm strong enough and tall enough, so I'm working to improve my rhythm.     "I had a very slow start and it was a tough match. [Nicole] is a very talented young player and it's not easy to play against her, so I was very happy that I was able to win this match." #12 s3 Anastasia Myskina RUS d #18 s7 Elena Likhovtseva RUS 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 Anastasia launching a backhand, and facing the press after the match     Anastasia said: "I started a little slow, but I was able to get into the match and win it, fortunately."     About her semifinal against Elena Dementieva, Anastasia said: "[Elena and I have] known each other since were kids, and have played against each other many, many times. I don't think there will be any surprises, as we know each other's games so well, but I think it will be a good match because we are very competitive. The surface will favor her a little, because it's so fast, and she hits the ball so hard. We're both playing pretty well right now." #NR wc Martina Hingis SUI d #25 Maria Kirilenko RUS 6-2, 6-1 Martina finishing a serve, Maria's backhand, and Martina watching one of hers fly     About playing her semifinal opponent, 18-year-old 2004 Wimbledon champ Maria Sharapova, for the first time, 1997 Wimbledon champ Martina said: "When Maria was about 12-years-old, I was visiting Bolletieri's Academy in Florida and met five young girls; Maria was one of them. I hit a little bit with her and she was already outstanding amongst the girls.     "I've always said Maria was the one player I wanted to play on my return to tennis, so the day is here and I'm very happy to have the opportunity. If I play as well as I did against Kirilenko, I will definitely have a chance."

Tokyo Pan Pacific, SFs, Sat 1pm WTA story loser: $56,800 US 135 points *#NR wc Martina Hingis SUI d #4 s1 Maria Sharapova RUS 6-3, 6-1 Martina and Maria before the match, Martina's backhand, Maria's running backhand, and Martina after match point     The 1st set was close, the 2nd set wasn't. In the 1st set, Maria was serving, with Martina leading 4-3 (on serve), when a return by Martina hit the net cord and fell on Maria's side for the break, putting Martina up 5-3. In the 2nd set, Maria won the first game-- then Martina won the next six straight.     Martina said: "It was very competitive in the first set. I think we were both feeling each other out, seeing how each other played, and what shots we chose to make. I was lucky to break her in the eighth game, and I hit an ace to take the set. I was very happy about that, and I think that gave me a lot of confidence to go on to win the match.     "I played well. I didn't miss much on key points and I put a lot of pressure on [Maria]. I couldn't ask for much more, she's the No. 4 player in the world... Playing the top players you have to play them over and over. You have to start believing and step by step I'm getting my confidence back." AP story     Maria said: "[Martina] used my pace and the quickness of the court to her advantage, and came up with some very good shots... She still has a lot of experience and feel for the game...     "There were chances I could have taken and didn't. In the second set especially, I didn't have my usual 'fight to the end'. It wasn't any particular point, but a little here and there made a big difference." Reuters story - Xinhua story #9 s2 Elena Dementieva RUS d #12 s3 Anastasia Myskina RUS 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 Anastasia preparing to serve, and Elena watching her backhand fly     Elena said: "I felt like it was a very close match. We know each other very well and it was just a question of a couple of points who was going to be the winner today."     About playing her favorite other WTA player, Martina Hingis (whom Elena has said plays tennis like a game of chess) in the final, Elena said: "I'm really looking forward to playing Martina tomorrow. This is my first final in Japan, and to play Hingis is an unbelievable opportunity for me. For me, she is the No.1 player in the world. She's playing better now than when she retired three years ago."

Tokyo Pan Pacific, Final, Sat 1pm loser: $105,800 US 210 points winner: $196,900 US 300 pts #9 s2 Elena Dementieva RUS d #NR wc Martina Hingis SUI 6-2, 6-0 Martina and Elena firing forehands, Elena after match point, and Elena at her post-match press interview

Tokyo Pan Pacific, Doubles Final, Sun after singles loser: $31,750 US winners: $59,000 US *cdr7 s2 Lisa Raymond & Samantha Stosur d cdr6 s1 Cara Black & Rennae Stubbs 6-2, 6-1 Lisa & Samantha Tokyo Pan Pacific, Qual Finals, Mon Jan 30 10:30am losers: $4,270 US *#70 Lisa Raymond USA d #61 Yoon Jeong Cho KOR 6-1, 7-6(4) #73 Mara Santangelo ITA d #119 Nicole Pratt AUS 6-4, 6-3 *#118 Meilen Tu USA d #108 Rika Fujiwara JPN 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 #101 Saori Obata JPN d #194 Shiho Hisamatsu JPN 6-2, 6-2 Tokyo Pan Pacific, Withdrawals #1 Lindsay Davenport USA left ankle #15 Serena Williams USA more practice #45 wc Akiko Morigami JPN L ankle sprain #49 Roberta Vinci ITA #53 Shuai Peng CHN illness

Tokyo Pan Pacific tourney pages: 2005 - 2004

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