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| December 13, 2006 | Wednesday | Ziqa'ad 21, 1427 |
Mirza stuns Chinese star to reach final
DOHA, Dec 12: Indian favourite Sania Mirza stunned Chinese top seed Li Na with a 6-2, 6-2 victory on Tuesday to secure her place in the Asian Games women's singles tennis final.
Top seed Lee Hyung Taik brushed aside Cecil Mamiit from the Philippines 7-5, 6-0 to move into the final of the men's singles and set up a chance of his second gold medal at these Games.
The day, however, belonged to Mirza who plays Zheng Jie from China in Wednesday's final after the second seed downed Japan's Aiko Nakamura 6-3, 6-2.
Li, 24, had been hot favourite to win this tournament after she made history at Wimbledon earlier this year when she became the first Chinese woman to reach the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam.
But she seemed rattled by the large, cheering Indian crowd, and never had a grip on the match.
Mirza, seeded four, broke Li in the first game and again in the fifth before taking a 5-2 lead and serving out for the set.
After a marathon, energy-sapping game in the second set, Mirza finally broke for a 2-1 lead which the Indian said was crucial to winning the match.
Li appealed at one stage to her entourage for help as Mirza, backed by screaming fans, broke again for 4-1 when Li completely missed a routine forehand.
They both held serve leaving the Indian to serve out the match.
Mirza has another chance at gold when she teams with Leander Paes in the mixed doubles semi-finals later on Tuesday.
In the men's doubles, Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi moved into the finals with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Mamiit and Frederick Tain from the Philippines.
They play Thailand's identical twins Sanchai and Sonchat Ratiwatana who downed Jun Woong Sun and Kim Sun Young from South Korea 6-1, 6-3.
In the mixed doubles, Japan's Satoshi Iwabuchi and Akiko Morigami defeated Taiwan's third seeds Lu Yen Hsun and Hsieh Su Wei 7-6 (7-5), 6-3.—AFP
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