Sharapova, Williams sisters headline Stanford tennis

---

STANFORD, California, July 26 (AFP): Three-time Grand Slam winner Maria Sharapova continues her comeback from shoulder surgery by competing in the 700,000 dollar Bank of the West Classic which begins Monday.
Sharapova will have her work cut out for her against a strong field that includes five of the world's top ten, including Venus and Serena Williams.
Sharapova says the support she received from family, doctors and friends helped get her through the shoulder rehabilitation.
"I had a great team around me that kept me really positive," Sharapova said before an exhibition match earlier this week in Los Angeles. "By no means was it easy, an easy flow. Definitely, I had ups and downs. I had days where I had to push myself more than I've ever had to, mentally than physically.
"It all pays off. Obviously just getting to be able to play tennis again is an achievement in itself. Now it's about preparing myself, forgetting about what I went through, just preparing my game, getting back into the form where I was, and even better."
Because of the surgery Sharapova was unable to defend her title at the Australian Open in February. She also missed the Beijing Olympics and the US Open.
The 19-time WTA Tour singles champ is a hit off the court as well as Forbes Magazine recently reported that she earned 22 million dollars in endorsements over the past year.
Her first match in the 32-player Stanford draw will be Monday against Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama.