TOKYO, Oct 3 Former world number one Maria Sharapova won her second Pan Pacific Open title after Jelena Jankovic retired with a wrist injury in Saturday's final.

It was Sharapova's first title since shoulder surgery last October and the 20th of her career. Her last tournament win came at Amelia Island in April 2008.

The Russian was leading 5-2 when seventh seed Jankovic complained of shooting pains down her right arm and called for the trainer to tape up her wrist at the changeover.

The Serb managed just two more points after a medical timeout before throwing in the towel.

Sharapova, who has now beaten the 2008 year-end number one Jankovic in five of their six meetings, also won the Pan Pacific Open crown in 2005.

Four of her 20 WTA Tour titles, including her breakthrough victory at the 2003 Japan Open, have come in Tokyo.

TROICKI STUNS TSONGA

BANGKOK Fourth seed Viktor Troicki skewered a possible all-French final at the Thailand Open with a 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 knockout of fatigued title-holder Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Saturday.

The Serb, looking for his first career title at the ATP level, will play on Sunday against composed and confident French second seed Gilles Simon, who put out Austrian Jurgen Melzer 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).

Troicki, ranked 32nd, has spoiled the day twice for 2008 Australian Open finalist Tsonga in Asia after beating the number seven in Tokyo last year.

“I've beaten Top 10 players before,” he said. “They are just human like the rest of us and are not unbeatable.

“I had a good day and I won,” he added, having overcome 11 Tsonga aces and broke the powerful Frenchman four times.

“I've played really well this week. I know Simon will be a tough opponent but I'm ready to go for the victory. I want to win my first title now.”

Simon is playing this week for the first time since the US Open.

Simon had lost his only previous meeting with Melzer, 44th in the world.

He produced eight aces and two breaks of serve in nearly two hours on court.

Having lost a break leading 5-3 in the opening set, he regained to claim the opener as Melzer hit the net.

In the second, neither man gave in until the tiebreaker, when Simon got up 5-1 and advanced to the title match on his second match point, a passing winner down the line.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding)

Semi-finals 2-Gilles Simon (France) bt 6-Juegen Melzer (Austria) 6-4, 7-6 (7/3); 4-Viktor Troicki (Serbia) bt 1-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 1-6, 6-2, 6-3.

DAVYDENKO FACES

VERDASCO

KUALA LUMPUR Top seed Nikolay Davydenko turned his luck in dramatic fashion on Saturday with a storming 1-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 comeback over Swede Robin Soderling to move into the final of the Malaysian Open.

The Russian will face second seed Fernando Verdasco on Sunday after the Spaniard defeated Chile's Fernando Gonzalez 6-4, 7-5 in the other semi-final.

Davydenko has won five of six meetings with Verdasco dating to 2004.

For only the second time in 53 ATP events this season, a tournament's top-four players made it to the semi-final stage after the Cincinnati Masters saw Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic come through.

Third-seed French Open finalist Soderling got off to a dream start against Davydenko as he trounced the Russian in their opening set.

But Davydenko, with clay trophies over the summer in Hamburg and Umag, recovered with a winning tie-break in the second and then drove the point home in the third to complete his comeback in a shade over two hours.

Both men struck nine aces and broke three times apiece. Davydenko improved his record to 3-5 against Soderling, who had won their last four matches.

The Russian was competing with a wrist problem which hardly looks to have affected his solid form.

Results

Semi-finals 1-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) bt 3-Robin Soderling (Sweden) 1-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-2; 2-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) bt 4-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) 6-4, 7-5.—Agencies