Tokyo, Japan, 11 September 2017 | tennis.com.au

Three-time Japan Women’s Open champion Sam Stosur will this week return to action at her most prolific tournament.

The Australian, who sustained a hand injury at Roland Garros, has been sidelined ever since, forced to miss three months of competition.

In Tokyo she will tackle Spaniard Sara Sorribes Tormo in her first match since a fourth-round loss to eventual French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in Paris.

Stosur won this WTA tournament in 2009, 2013 and 2014, back when it was staged on Osaka.

The event relocated to Tokyo in 2015.

During her period of inactivity, Stosur’s ranking has slipped to 44th; she’s now the third-ranked Australian woman behind Daria Gavrilova and Ash Barty.

She’s the fifth seed this week in Tokyo; the No.1 seed is Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic, ranked No.13.