Sharapova on a high ahead of season-ending Championships

MADRID, Nov 6 (Reuters) Maria Sharapova believes that winning a second grand slam tournament has given her the perfect confidence boost ahead of her bid to regain her title at the season-ending WTA Championships.

''This has been one of the best years for me. I've won a second major and I've been very consistent,'' the 19-year-old Russian told reporters today.

Sharapova, who won the Championships in 2004, is on a three-tournament winning streak after her triumphs at the U.S.

Open, Linz and Zurich.

''I was very proud to win a second major and to beat Amelie (Mauresmo) and Justine (Henin-Hardenne) in back-to-back matches when I did it.'' Sharapova is one of three players who has a chance of clinching the year-end number one spot in Madrid, but she said she was not overly concerned with the rankings.

''It's definitely good to be at the last tournament of the year. I'm tired, excited but really looking forward to it. If I keep winning then the ranking will take care of itself.

''I don't set myself goals, I prefer to go with the flow. If you do and get injured then you get really down. You just have to live life by the day.'' SHOULDER INJURY Defending champion Mauresmo will return to action after 10 days off with a shoulder injury.

''I'm feeling much better and these few days I've had off have done me good,'' said the Frenchwoman. ''I'm not serving at 100 percent just yet but I am going in the right direction.

''Once I got injured the number one spot went out of my mind.

I knew it would be difficult but I'm just pleased to be playing.

The good part is that I'm fresh both mentally and physically.

''It's very different from when I came last year. I had no confidence and all of a sudden everything came together.'' French Open champion Henin-Hardenne, the other player competing for the year-end number one, said she had feared she would miss the event for a third year running because of injury.

''I'm just happy to be here. Just a few days ago I didn't think I'd be able to make it,'' said the Belgian who is returning to action after sustaining a calf injury during the Fed Cup final against Italy in September.

''I'm not here to become number one again. My main goal was to play in the Championships because I missed out on the last two editions. I've got nothing to lose as I've had a great season.'' Former world number one Martina Hingis said playing in the Championships was the perfect way to end her comeback season after a three-year lay-off.

''I'm very excited, I was hoping that the year might work out this way,'' said the 26-year-old Swiss. ''I started making it a goal midway through the season and I've shown that it's not for no reason that I was number one for four years.'' The world's top eight players have been divided into two groups for the round-robin phase of the Championships which start on Tuesday.

Mauresmo, Henin-Hardenne, Hingis and Nadia Petrova have been drawn in the yellow group, while Sharapova, Elena Dementieva, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Kim Clijsters are in the red.

Hingis, who won the tournament in 1998 and 2000, said this year's event was wide open.

''There is no favourite this time, everybody's beaten everyone. I'm just going to go into the matches and feel free.

It's great making it to Madrid. Everything else is a bonus.'' REUTERS PM RN2223