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KOLKATA, Sept 20: Indian star Sania Mirza breezed through her first-round match against Japanese qualifier Junri Namigata 6-2, 6-2 at the WTA tour event here on Tuesday. The third seed exhibited some superb forehand shots but struggled with her serves, with frequent double-faults.
“If you expect me to play perfect tennis, I can’t,” said Mirza, who made the fourth round of the recent US Open and now enjoys a world ranking of 34. “What matters most is that I won.”
Meanwhile India’s Sunitha Rao got the better of Neha Uberoi, who is of Indian origin but represents the United States, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 in a 150-minute battle.
Neha’s elder sister Shikha Uberoi, who plays for India, had won her first round match on Monday.
Popular Thai player Tamarine Tanasugarn went down tamely to lower-ranked Swede Sofia Arvidsson 6-2, 6-1.
“I have been suffering from a fever since I reached here. I wasn’t fit to play today and that made the difference,” said Tanasugarn.
Results (first round): Maria Elena Camerin (ITA) bt Rushmi Chakravarthi (IND) 6-2, 6-0; Antonella Serra Zanetti (ITA ) bt Chia-Jung Chuang (TPE) 6-2, 6-3; Sunitha Rao (USA) bt Neha Uberoi (USA) 7-5, 4-6, 6-4; Melinda Czink (HUN) bt Maria-Emilia Salerni (ARG) 6-4, 7-5; Rika Fujiwara (JPN) bt Arantxa Parra Santonja (ESP) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4; Sofia Arvidsson (SWE) bt Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA) 6-2, 6-1; Sania Mirza (IND) bt Junri Namigata (JPN) 6-2, 6-2; Virginia Ruano Pascual (ESP) bt Laura Pous Tio (ESP x6) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
Serena to face Sun
BEIJING, Sept 20: Title holder Serena Williams will face wildcard Sun Tiantian in the second round of the China Open after the Olympic doubles champion won her opening match on Tuesday.
Local favourite Sun, who won Olympic gold with Li Ting in Athens last year, beat Russian qualifier Tatiana Panova 6-3 6-4 in the first round in Beijing.
Fourth seed Williams, along with big sister Venus and new world number one Maria Sharapova all received first round byes.
Second seed Lindsay Davenport withdrew from the tournament with a back injury after winning her 49th career title in Bali at the weekend.
Third seed Venus’s draw was further simplified by number five Alicia Molik’s surprise 7-6 6-7 6-4 defeat by Argentina’s Mariana Diaz-Oliva late on Monday. Wimbledon champion Venus will play Nuria Llagostera Vives in the second round after the Spaniard’s 2-6 6-0 7-6 victory over Russia’s Alina Jidkova.
Sharapova will have to wait until Thursday to begin her bid for an 11th career title.
The 18-year-old faces either Israel’s Shahar Peer or fellow Russian Vera Douchevina.
Results:
Maria Kirilenko (Russia) bt Jamea Jackson (United States) 7-5 7-5; Tiantian Sun (China) bt Tatiana Panova (Russia) 6-3 6-4; Nuria Llagostera Vives (Spain) bt Alina Jidkova (Russia) 2-6 6-0 7-6(5); Aiko Nakamura (Japan) beat 8-Flavia Pennetta (Italy) 3-6 6-4 6-4.—Agencies
