General / Editor / 03 February 2007 /

Maria Sharapova was forced to retire from her semi-final at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo with a hamstring injury.
The World number one was down a set to Serbia's Ana Ivanovic at the time she complained of a sharp pain after serving.

Sharapova's exit leaves Ivanovic to play second seed Martina Hingis in Sunday's final.
The Russian had just held her serve in the opening game of the second set, having surrendered the first 1-6, when she suffered the pain that forced her out.

"It's always difficult to end the tournament this way," said the 19-year-old.
Hingis stayed on course for a fifth Tokyo title after she beat Elena Dementieva 6-4 6-3 to avenge a defeat by the Russian in last year's decider.

"It was a great start for me today and I didn't really miss a shot," said Hingis, who never looked back after racing into a 3-0 lead in the first set.
Sharapova later revealed that she had been carrying a hamstring strain since the Australian Open.

"My left hamstring has been having tightness since the Australian Open but after a Grand Slam you are tight all over," she said, having lost to Serena Williams in last weekend's final in Melbourne.
Hingis is rated the 1.61 favourite to go one better than last year and take the Tokyo prize, while fifth-seed Ivanovic is available at 2.52 to win Sunday's final.

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