Ana Ivanovic’s slump is still strong, as she followed her first-round loss at the US Open with a first-round exit at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

The Serbian world No.11 Ivanovic was buried under a deluge of unforced errors and Czech Lucie Safarova defeated her 6-4 7-6(1).

"I know how Ana is feeling and I feel it with her," said Safarova, who is now tied at 2-2 in career meetings with Ivanovic. "She's struggling with her serve and when that goes, all your game goes."

Additional info: World No.10 Flavia Pennetta of Italy fell to compatriot Roberta Vinci 6-1 6-2 in the opening round, and was the first Top 10 member to exit the $2 million tournament, featuring nine of the world's Top 10 women’s tennis players. (source: Reuters, photo via Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)

Ai Sugiyama of Japan, 34, is planning to retire after the Toray Pan Pacific Open, which will leave Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova without a doubles partner.

Hantuchova addresses the issue in her Seoul blog:

We're playing our last tournament together in Tokyo. It's really sad, but I'm really glad I'll be a part of her last tournament. Ai has given me so many wonderful memories on the court, and we're great friends, so it's going to be tough to see her go. She's such a great fighter and a great person. The tennis world will miss her, for sure I will. It won't be easy to find another one like her. Next year I may play some doubles here and there but I'm really going to try focusing on my singles. One of the reasons I was playing doubles so much was because Ai was one of my best friends, and we were having so much fun.

The on-again, off-again partnership between Sugiyama and Hantuchova has brought them three Sony Ericsson WTA Tour titles and two Grand Slam finals. Their pairing is interesting as Sugiyama is almost eight years older than Hantuchova and seven inches smaller. (source: Women Who Serve, photo: Ralf Reinecke)

Maria Sharapova has arrived in Tokyo, Japan, to compete in the Toray Pan Pacific Open, the first of the last two tournaments she will play this year, and to launch her Cole Haan Collection, which hit stores in Tokyo a week ago.

According to Maria’s weekly doodle she is excited about being back in Tokyo.

I can't believe that I haven't been here in over 2 years! That should never happen!

My favorite part of Maria’s doodle is the following:

Just took a run in the park and happened to pass by a group of 20 children which were clearly fascinated by my height. I don't speak much Japanese (none at all as a matter of fact) but I thought I overheard them say "ooooh giant" Made me laugh.

The Women's Tennis Association has agreed to bring back byes to certain tournaments in 2009 in order to give players more time to rest between certain high-intensity events.

Rome is a 56-draw tournament followed by Madrid which is a 64-draw tournament. Similarly in the fall, Tokyo is a 56-draw tournament followed by Beijing. Several players were concerned there was too many matches in too few days.

The WTA responded by reintroducing byes for semifinalists in Rome and Tokyo, so that they can play one match less and have more time to rest. (source: Reuters)

Dinara Safina powered to her fourth title of the season with a solid 6-1 6-3 victory over fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Powerful Safina, seeded fourth, lost only one game in her Tokyo semifinal against Nadia Petrova, and in the championship match against Kuznetsova she took the first set giving away only one game. A third break in the second set sealed the victory.

In addition to this year’s titles in Berlin, Los Angeles, Montreal, and Tokyo, the 22-year-old Safina has been in three other finals, including Roland Garros and the Beijing Olympics. The fifth-seeded Kuznetsova, on the other hand, didn’t manage to win her first title of the season and lost in a final for the fourth time.

Safina currently sits at a career-high of number five in the world and is projected to move to spot number three in the rankings.

Safina will collect $196,900 for the win at this Tier I tournament, while Kuznetsova earned $105,800. (photo via Yahoo)