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 TOKYO (AP) - Maria Sharapova returned to No. 1 in the rankings Monday, and intends to stay there awhile. The Russian overtook Belgium's Justin Henin-Hardenne in the rankings despite a 6-1, 6-2 loss to Serena Williams in Saturday's final of the Australian Open. Sharapova is playing this week in the $1.3 million Pan Pacific Open, a tournament she won in 2005.
"I'm excited to get to No. 1 and hopefully I can keep it for many weeks to come," she said at a news conference Monday. "At the end of the day, I reached the final of a Grand Slam in my first tournament of the year."
Sharapova spent seven nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 in her career between August and October in 2005.
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