Filed under: Sania Mirza
Sania Mirza quelled a late challenge from world number 49 and 11th seed Anne Keothavong to sail into the pre-quarterfinals of the USD 220,000 WTA Aegon Classic here today.
The unseeded Indian beat the British number one 6-1 7-6 (5) in the second round after battling it out for one hour and 27 minutes.
Sania will now run into the winner of the match between local wild card Elena Baltachs and Russian fifth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for a place in the last-eight stage.
Sania dominated the first set and did not give any chance to Anee, whom the Indian broke thrice to take lead.
However, Anee shrugged off the rustiness in the second set and put up a brave fight to stretch it to a tie-breaker, where Sania held her nerves and converted her second match point.
Filed under: Sania Mirza
Sania Mirza began her grass court campaign with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Tatiana Poutchek at the Aegon Classic on Tuesday, shrugging off a persistent wrist injury that had threatened to end her career.
The 22-year-old from India hit the ball well and moved superbly. She made a rampaging start, breaking serve immediately and then winning a third game that went to eight deuces and which lasted more than a quarter of an hour.
“After what I have been through I am thankful to God that I am back,” she said, referring to the multiple problems with the wrist which required surgery and prolonged rehab.
Poutchek, a qualifier from Belarus, grew increasingly frustrated as the match quickly went away from her. She twice broke back in the second set for 1-1 and 2-2 but was unable to ever take the lead.
Mirza has slipped well down in the rankings – she is now ranked No. 98 – but she said she was delighted just to be back playing on one of her favourite surfaces.
“I love playing on grass and that’s what I am concentrating on,” Mirza said. “I’m not too concerned about my ranking it’s never easy coming back from injury, but a couple of runs here and there and the ranking will take care of itself.”
Mirza next plays Anne Keothavong, the eleventh-seeded British number one who overwhelmed Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden, 6-2, 6-2.
