Maria Sharapova was feeling confident about her US Open defence after beating Patty Schnyder to win the last San Diego Classic on Sunday before the event moves to Beijing next year.

Sharapova won the San Diego title 12 months ago, finding the rhythm which carried her to the last grand slam title of the year at Flushing Meadows.

"After winning here and then winning the Open, you want to do the same thing," the world No 2 told reporters. "Last year I won here and went to In and Out Burger, and this year I want to get in the car, go there again and drive the same way."

Hampered by a shoulder injury all year, Sharapova had struggled to find her best form until San Diego.

She was crushed by Serena Williams in the Australian Open final, by Ana Ivanovic in the French Open semifinals and by Venus Williams in the fourth round of Wimbledon.

But after taking a rest and abbreviating her service action to ease her shoulder pain, the Russian found her stride in San Diego, only dropping one set and beating a number of good opponents, including Tatiana Golovin, Sania Mirza, Anna Chakvetadze and Schnyder.

"All those girls can be very dangerous, but you can run into someone ranked 50 or 60 who has nothing to lose and plays her best against you," Sharapova said.

"I never underestimate any opponent. I have to concentrate on what I have to do and not what they are doing, because if you strongly believe in what you are doing, you are in good hands."

Sharapova beat Patty Schnyder 6-2 3-6 6-0 in the San Diego Classic final on Sunday.

She used a powerful baseline attack to break the left-handed Swiss six times amid a flurry of 37 winners, but she did not have things all her own way.

After Sharapova closed out the first set by ripping a backhand down the line, the 11th-seeded Schnyder cleverly began to move the tall Russian around the court.

She broke to 5-3 in the second set when Sharapova missed a forehand and levelled the match with a 110-mph service winner.

Between sets, Sharapova's coach Michael Joyce told her to stop being so tentative and she came out roaring in the third set, breaking Schnyder to 2-0 when the Swiss erred on a drop shot.

"In the first set I hit some really good shots when she was serving and that opened doors for me," Sharapova told reporters.

"In the second set I lost that extra step and once you give her a little edge, she's going to get a lot of balls back and she's not going to waste her time. I hesitated for too many balls and I knew I had to step in and hit it again."

Sharapova never looked back, breaking Schnyder to 4-0 with a blazing forehand and winning the match with another forehand winner.

"Once she's on a roll, she sticks with it doesn't give a chance," Schnyder said. "She puts pressure on you whenever she has break points and you have to save them.

"She's a champion and you know you have to come up with something special."

In the last year of the San Diego Classic, which has been sold to Beijing, Sharapova become the first woman to defend the title since Venus Williams in 2002.

It was the world No 2's first title since winning the Linz tournament in October.

"It's such a thin line," Sharapova said. "I'd rather be in a grand slam final then win a Tier IV tournament. I could easily play 30 tournaments a year like some of the other girls if I really wanted to win a tournament, but that's physically impossible for me.

"I play the big ones and the ones that count and that I feel that I'm ready for. If I didn't win one before this one, then so what, I've won plenty before."

Sharapova will be the top seed at this week's tournament in Los Angeles before taking two weeks off to prepare for the US Open which starts on August 27.

"I have to maintain and improve," she said. "I'm hoping to find a high level and be fresh."

(China Daily via Agencies August 7, 2007)