The 18-year-old russian tennis player Maria Sharapova launches her bid to become world No.1 next year at the Australian Women's Hardcourts event.

World No.4 Maria Sharapova won three titles this year - Tokyo, Doha and Birmingham - but failed to add any Majors to go with her 2004 Wimbledon crown.

She was in striking distance of being world No.1 but ultimately finished fourth, her lowest ranking of the year, and is out to improve on that in 2006.

Maria Sharapova will start her campaign to overtake Lindsay Davenport, Kim Clijsters and French woman Amelie Mauresmo in the WTA world rankings when the Gold Coast event gets underway at Royal Pines on January 1.