US Open champion Maria Sharapova was confirmed on Thursday as one of three top-10 players for next year's Pan Pacific Open.

The world number two will line up alongside Switzerland's Martina Hingis and fellow Russian Elena Dementieva in the Tokyo event which follows January's Australian Open.

Former world number one Hingis has won the Pan Pacific Open four times. Dementieva beat Hingis in this year's final.

(China Daily via Reuters December 8, 2006)