TOKYO (Reuters) - Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova beat a hobbling Lindsay Davenport 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 to win the Pan Pacific Open Sunday. The Russian converted her fourth match point to take the third set tiebreak 7-5 and halt Davenport's bid for a record fifth title at the $1.3 million event. Sharapova's eighth career title means she will rise from fourth to third when the new world rankings are released on Monday. "I had belief in myself," she told reporters. "I don't want to set a timetable for myself to be number one. My job's just to go out and perform." The Siberian-born Sharapova beat Davenport in last year's Wimbledon semi-finals in their only previous meeting. She came up with the big shots again to earn four match points. Sharapova squandered three of them -- just as she did in her semi-final loss to Serena Williams at the Australian Open. But this time she held her nerve and ended Davenport's brave resistance with a forehand down the line after one hour 47 minutes.
Sharapova earned $189,000 for her third title in Japan to take her career earnings above the $3 million mark. She also won the Japan Open in 2003 and 2004.
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