Saturday, October 24, 2009

Sania Mirza moved up

In the WTA Tour rankings Sania Mirza moved up three spots to no.58 in the world courtesy of her semi-final run at the HP Japan Women's Open in Osaka last week. Sania also moved up a few spots to no. 36 in the doubles ranking.

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Sunday, October 18, 2009

Sania Mirza's moment of loss


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Sania Mirza of India reacts after missing a shot against Francesca Schiavone of Italy during their semi-final match at the Japan Women's Open Tennis in Osaka,western Japan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Schiavone won 6-2,6-1

Sania Mirza in action


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Sania Mirza returns to Francesca Schiavone of Italy during their semi-final match at the Japan Women's Open Tennis in Osaka, western Japan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Schiavone won 6-2, 6-1.

Sayonara Japan - Sania mirza

Sania Mirza's run at the WTA Japan Open ended with a crushing 2-6, 1-6 mauling in the semi-final against world number 26 and fourth seed Francesca Schiavone in Osaka, on Saturday.

Sania's defeat meant that the Indian has now lost all three encounters against her Italian friend.

It was for the third time in the season that Sania had made it to the singles semi-final of an WTA event.

The Indian earned 130 ranking points and US $10,200 as prize money for her brilliant effort through the week in the US $220,000 hard court event.

Sania could not play the way she did against Peer and Bartoli, who had retired mid-way due to a shoulder injury, and lost her semi-final within an hour.

Sania saved a breakpoint in the first set but the Italian still broke her twice to race away with the lead.

The second set was again a lop-sided affair with Schiavone breaking Sania twice as she quickly wrapped up the one-sided match.



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Francesca Schiavone of Italy celebrates her win


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Francesca Schiavone of Italy celebrates her 6-2, 6-1 win over Sania Mirza of India during their semi-final match at the Japan Women's Open Tennis in Osaka, western Japan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009. Schiavone will face Samantha Stosur of Australia in Sunday's final match

Sania Mirza reacts after missing a shot


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Sania Mirza reacts after missing a shot against Francesca Schiavone of Italy during their semi-final match at the Japan Women's Open Tennis in Osaka,western Japan, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2009.Schiavone won 6-2,6-1

Friday, October 16, 2009

Marion Bartoli of France returns to Sania Mirza


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Marion Bartoli of France returns to Sania Mirza of India during the quarterfinal match at the Japan Women's Open Tennis in Osaka, western Japan, Friday, Oct. 16, 2009. Bartoli retired from the match in the second set due to injury.

Sania Mirza of India returns a shot against Marion Bartol


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Sania Mirza of India returns a shot against Marion Bartoli of France during their quarter-final match at the Japan Women's Open Tennis in Osaka, western Japan, Friday, Oct. 16, 2009. Bartoli retired from the match in the second set due to injury.

Sania Mirza of India reacts during her quarter final match against Marion


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Sania Mirza of India reacts during her quarter final match against Marion Bartoli of France at the Japan Women's Open Tennis in Osaka, western Japan, Friday, Oct. 16, 2009. Bartoli retired from the match in the second set due to injury

Sania gets a hug


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Marion Bartoli of France hugs with Sania Mirza, left, of India after their quarter-final match at the Japan Women's Open Tennis in Osaka, western Japan, Friday, Oct. 16, 2009. Bartoli retired from the match in the second set due to her injury.

Marion Bartoli of France


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Marion Bartoli of France,Bartoli retired from the match in the second set due to injury.

Marion Bartoli of France holds her right arm


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Marion Bartoli of France holds her right arm during her quarter final match against Sania Mirza of India at the Japan Women's Open Tennis in Osaka, western Japan, Friday, Oct. 16, 2009. Bartoli retired from the match in the second set due to injury.

Sania Mirza in Japan Open semifinals

Sania Mirza today advanced to the Japan Open semifinals after her second-seeded French opponent Marion Bartoli retired midway through the quarterfinal due to a shoulder injury with the Indian leading 6-4 2-0 here.

With Bartoli hampered by a right shoulder injury, Sania controlled the proceedings in the hour-long match, although the Indian said she did not play all that well.

"You always like to win match point, so it was unfortunate but I felt I was playing well and was in control.

At the end of the day, a win is a win. The big thing for me is that I was outplaying a top 15 player, who was in good form," Sania said.

Sania will next play fourth seed Francesca Schiavone, who didn't even need to take the court as her seventh seeded rival Melinda Czink withdrew due to a right foot injury.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Sania Mirza and Vania King suffers shock exit

Second seed Sania Mirza and Vania King suffered a shock straight-set defeat at the hands of unseeded French pair of Julie Coin and Mathilde to crash out of the doubles event of the Japan Open in Osaka on Thursday.

The Indo-American pair lost lost 4-6, 2-6 in the quarter-final of the USD 220,000 WTA hard court event after battling for one hour and seven minutes.

Sania got 70 ranking points for making the last-eight pair stage and will share USD 1650 prize money with Vania.

To survive in the event, Sania will have to beat World number 13 and second seed Marion Bartoli of France in the singles competition on Friday.

Sania and Vania had plenty of chances against their rivals in the both the sets but could not cash in on.

They dropped serve twice in the first set and missed equal number of chances on their opponents' serve.

They saved five breakpoints and were successful in breaking the French pair once but that was not enough.

The second set too saw the second seeds missing many a chances as they squandered three breakpoints and dropped their own serve thrice.

Sania Mirza beats Viktoriya Kutuzova


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Sania Mirza became the first player to reach the quarter-finals of the Japan Open Wednesday, beating Viktoriya Kutuzova of Ukraine in straight sets.

Sania Mirza sets date with Bartoli

Sania Mirza sailed into the Japan Open quarter finals after notching up a straight-set win over Ukraine’s Viktoriya Kutuzova here on Wednesday.

Sania defeated Kutuzova 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 23 minutes to set up a tough quarter final against second-seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli.

Both Sania and Viktoriya served badly in the opening set, committing five double faults each.

But Sania managed to convert a crucial break point to go 1-0 up.

The Indian was more in control in the second set and she cut back on her service errors, saving three of the four break points she faced.

Viktoriya, however, continued to serve poorly and was broken thrice by the Indian, who was also helped by the three double faults the Ukrainian committed.

The Indian goes into the match against world No. 12 Bartoli with a 1-0 head-to-head record as the Hyderabadi had beaten her in the 2005 US Open.


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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Sania Mirza vs Shahar Peer


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Sania Mirza sent out a strong signal of intent when she eliminated fifth seed Shahar Peer of Israel in the first round of the Japan Open women's tennis tournament on Monday.

Sania back in action with a win

Sania Mirza's camaraderie with frequent doubles partner Shahar Peer did not come in her way to overcoming the fifth seeded Israeli in three sets to reach the second round of the Japan Open tennis tournament here today.

With two players fully aware of each other's game, it was an intense one hour 52 minute tug-of-war, at the end of which Sania finished on the right side with a hard-earned 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win.

The Indian will now face Viktoriya Kutuzova of Ukraine, who had won the first set 6-2 before her opponent Maria Kirilenko of Russia retired.

Sania broke her opponents twice but was broken herself thrice as the Indian lost the first set.

In the second set, however, Sania saved all three break points to draw parity and maintained her superiority in the decider to emerge winner.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Sania rise in singles rankings

In the WTA list, Sania Mirza rose by four rungs to 61 in singles but her doubles ranking was intact at 38.

Sania Mirza crashes out of China Open Qualifying

Sania Mirza's trip to China runs the risk of being an incredibly short one as she was knocked out of the first round of qualifying at the hands of Chinese wildcard recipient Chun-Mei Ji 3-6, 6-2, 1-6.

Ji, ranked more than 500 places below Mirza in the WTA Tour rankings at 580 dominated the match, creating 13 break opportunities on the Mirza serve, and taking 6 of these to wrap up a rather comfortable win in the end.

The final set was especially one sided as Ji dropped just 5 points on her own serve and allowed Mirza only 7 on her own to romp to an impressive win.

Mirza will compete in her first round match in the main draw of the women's doubles tomorrow. She is partnering with Romanian youngster Sorana Cirstea, and will take on the pair of Agnes Szavay and Roberta Vinci.