Tokyo - Venus Williams was due in Tokyo on Monday, leading a parade of weekend title winners into this week's Japan Open.
The Wimbledon champion who before last week had played just two matches in the post-US Open period over the previous two seasons, won her third trophy of the year and 26th overall on Sunday in Seoul.
The Williams win in the Korean capital over Russian Maria Kirilenko tied the American with world No 1 Justine Henin on career titles. The pair stand a joint third behind active players Lindsay Davenport and Martina Hingis.
Williams opens on the WTA side of the men's and women's event at the Ariake colosseum against compatriot Jill Craybas, the 2002 winner.
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Since bursting in renewed prominence at the All England club two months ago, Williams has produced a 15-2 match record.
Also entered at the outdoor hard-court event - the centre court has boasted a moveable cover for decades in case of foul weather - is Guanzhong champion Virginie Razzano of France, who lifted that weekend trophy.
On the men's ATP side, Mumbai winner Richard Gasquet of France and Bangkok champion Dmitry Tursunov are both playing.
The tournament suffered a body blow on Friday when defending champion Roger Federer withdrew with fatigue after the Davis Cup.
The Swiss said that doctors told him to rest for 10 days, which would put him right for the Madrid Masters at mid-month.
With James Blake and Andy Roddick also missing, Spaniard David Ferrer is filling in as the top seed ahead of Bangkok semifinalist Tomas Berdych and Gasquet.
"It feels great to win, but it's done now, and there's a new week coming up," said Tursunov, 24, who gets a first-round bye like all men's seeds.
"I don't want to rest on my laurels," he said. "The most positive thing is that I'm seeing good results regardless of the way I played."
The California-based Russian has toned down his flamboyant style this season with solid results after also lifting a title in July at Indianapolis.
"Overall, I've been pretty composed and not as panicky about missing my shots," he said. "I'm trying to stay concentrated on what is working. ... Being consistent is the key to getting through rough patches."
Gasquet, ranked 14th and chasing a possible spot in November's season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai, has clocked a surface sweep over the past 15 months on the ATP.
"I'm very happy to have won a title on hard court," he said after defeating Olivier Rochus in Mumbai.
"I won on grass, clay and indoor [synthetic]," he said of wins at Nottingham in June 2006, Gstaad in July 2006 and Lyon in October 2006, respectively. "It shows I can play on every court."
Gasquet comes to Tokyo without dropping a set all week in hot and humid India while losing only 20 games.
Tursunov takes the sixth seeding in Tokyo ahead of No 4 Australian Lleyton Hewitt, the 2001 winner, and Finn Jarkko Nieminen. - Sapa-dpa
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