For 19 months, Kenneth Carlsen wasn't aching to pick up a racket. From September 1999, the Dane was cherishing his time off the rigid schedules of the tour after two major shoulder surgeries.

News photoAmerican Jill Craybas returns a shot during her victory in the AIG Japan Open final at Tokyo's Ariake Colosseum. Craybas beat Croatia's Silvija Talaja 2-6, 6-4, 6-4.

It's been 16 months since the 10-year veteran returned to the full tour -- and he knew he wasn't playing well. But on Sunday at Ariake Colosseum, Carlsen's game came together at the perfect time for his second trophy -- both of them in Asia -- as he edged friend Magnus Norman of Sweden 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 to clinch the men's bracket of the AIG Japan Open, which included world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt and two other Top-10 players.