Tokyo: Russian tennis star Maria Sharapovahas already put her Australian Open disappointment behind her and isspearheading the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament this week.

 The 19-year-old topseed has returned to the top of the world rankings after reaching Saturday'sfinal at the Australian Open, only to lose 6-1, 6-2 to an inspired SerenaWilliams.

"Losing is never fine, but at the end of the day, to be in the final ofa Grand Slam in the first tournament of the year, I'm proud of it," saidSharapova.

"The rankings never lie. I had a great end of the year last year and Ihope I can take that into this year, but I'm excited at an opportunity to getback to be number one," she said.

In Tokyo, Sharapova is expected to face toughopposition in another former world number one, Martina Hingis of Switzerland.

Hingis dashed Sharapova's defence of the Pan Pacific Open last year with a6-3, 6-1 semi-final victory over the Russian.

Sharapova avenged the loss by beating Hingis twice, at Dubai and Indian Wells, for a 2-1 careerrecord.

Sharapova and three other seeds  second seed Hingis, defending champion ElenaDementieva of Russia andJelena Jankovic of Serbia receive first-round byes.

Sharapova, in the top half of the draw with Jankovic and fifth seed AnaIvanovic of Serbia, will take on the winner of the first round match betweenFrancesca Schiavone of Italy and Japan's Erika Takao.

The Russian is on course for a possible quarter-final encounter with seventhseed Shahar Peer. Peer, 19, became the first Israeli player to make a GrandSlam quarter-final at the Australian Open.

"It's definitely great to be back in Tokyo. It's one of my favourite cities in theworld. I always love coming back. I won the title before and I lost last yearin the semis," said Sharapova.

"Hopefully, I can get to the final. It's always wonderful to be backand hopefully it will be a great week of tennis," she added.

The 26-year-old Hingis, who will play either American Meghann Shaughnessy orAustralia'sNicole Pratt, is also looking to win back the title she won four times  in 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2002.

Hingis lost to Dementieva in the final last year.

Hingis has been drawn in the same quarter as sixth seed and Asia's numberone, Li Na of China, and inthe same half as eighth seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia.