Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova wasted no time in defending her Japan Open title at the Ariake Colesseum on Saturday, blitzing Mashona Washington of the United States 6-0, 6-1 in 51 minutes.
American Taylor Dent will play Czech Jiri Novak in the men's final on Sunday.
Novak beat Lleyton Hewitt of Australia 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 in a game suspended for 35 minutes after rain leaked through the Ariake Colosseum's retractable roof, while Dent came back from a set down to beat Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
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