DUBAI, March 2: U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova was stunned 6-4 6-2 by 18-year-old Indian Sania Mirza in the Dubai Open second round on Tuesday.
Sania is attaining film star status in her homeland after becoming the first Indian woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam in Melbourne last month. She was also the first Indian to win a WTA Tour event, in Hyderabad.
Sania further underlined her potential against Kuznetsova, recovering from a shaky start to produce a supremely confident performance. The match initially looked like being a major embarrassment for Sania, who attracted nearly 5,000 spectators consisting mainly of expat workers to the centre court.
She lost the first game to love in 42 seconds as the fourth-seeded Russian fired two aces, and fell behind 4-0 after suffering an ankle injury. She received several minutes of treatment but double-faulted twice at 3-0 as she experienced problems serving.
The match turned dramatically, however, when Sania banished her nerves and began to hit the ball sweetly from all angles. After winning six straight games to take the first set Sania continued to grow in confidence and forcing a forehand error from Kuznetsova to break in the first game of the second set.
Although the Russian immediately broke back to level at 1-1, she failed two win three game points in the next game before Sania broke again. Urged on by the boisterous crowd, Sania continued to pound the ball at every opportunity and her efforts were rewarded with the best win of her career.
Kuznetsova said she had been caught cold in her first match of the tournament. In other matches, Daniela Hantuchova took advantage of some uncharacteristic errors from sixth seeded Australian Alicia Molik to win 7-6 6-2, while Elena Likhovtseva needed nine match points and two hours 38 minutes to overcome Tunisia's Selima Sfar 2-6 6-2 7-6.
Seventh seed Nathalie Dechy of France struggled before edging past Russian qualifier Vera Douchevina 6-7 6-4 7-6, and Na Li of China beat Japan's Ai Sugiyama 1-6 7-6 6-2.
TUESDAY'S RESULTS SECOND ROUND:
Sania Mirza bt -Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4 6-2.
FIRST ROUND: Jelena Jankovic bt Silvia Farina Elia) 4-6 7-5 6-1; Daniela Hantuchova bt Alicia Molik 7-6 (10-8) 6-2; Elena Bovina bt Francesca Schiavone 6-1 3-6 6-4; Marion Bartoli bt Gisela Dulko 6-4 6-4; Elena Likhovtseva bt Selima Sfar 2-6 6-2 7-6 (7-5); Jie Zheng bt Anabel Medina Garrigues 7-6 (7-4) 6-2; Na Li bt Ai Sugiyama 1-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-2; Nathalie Dechy bt Vera Douchevina 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 7-6 (7-4).
Meanwhile second Serena Williams dropped the first set but recovered to outlast Elena Bovina in a second round match on Wednesday. Bovina won the first set with ease 6-1 but found Serena a different player in the next two sets 6-1, 6-2.
Earlier Russia's third seed Anastasia Myskina won be default against France's Marion Bartoli who retired with injury with the score 4-2 in favour of the former. But there was no joy for seventh seed Nathalie Dechy who went down rather tamely to vastly experience Conchita Martinez 1-6, 2-6.
WEDNESDAY RESULTS
SECOND ROUND: Serena Williams bt Elena Bovina 1-6 6-1 6-4; Conchita Martinez bt -Nathalie Dechy (France) 6-1 6-2; Anastasia Myskina bt Marion Bartoli 4-2 Retired; Daniela Hantuchova bt Elena Likhovtseva 7-5 6-4; Patty Schnyder bt Na Li (China) 6-3 7-6 (11-9).
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