Asian Games tennis update; Sania Mirza confirms her spot in the semifinal round
India’s Sania Mirza brushed aside second seed Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand in straight sets 6-2, 6-3 to confirm her spot in the semi-finals of the Asian Games Women’s Singles Tennis on Saturday.
The 24-year-old Mirza, who made her debut on the WTA tour in 2003, is currently ranked number 166 in the South African Airways WTA rankings. The right-hander, who is famous for her powerful forehand and ground strokes, debuted in the Fed Cup where she won
all three of her single matches. Mirza also won the Wimbledon girls doubles crown in 2003, pairing up with Russia’s Alisa Kleybanova.
Mirza is the highest ranked female tennis player ever from India, who achieved her career high ranking of world number 27 in 2007. Sania is the first Indian women to be seeded in a major event. The Hyderabad resident also became the first female tennis player
from India to successfully make her way into the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament at the U.S. Open in 2005. She reached the round of sixteen after getting the better of Maria Elena Camerin, Mashona Washington and Marion Bartoli along the way.
The Indian also captured the mixed doubles title at the Australian Open in 2009 along with her partner Mahesh Bhupathi, and thus made history by becoming the first Indian woman to lift a Grand Slam trophy.
The unseeded Mirza, a silver medalist at the 2006 Asian Games, effectively used her powerful ground strokes to get past her Thai opponent. She saved a total of six break points in the opening game of the first set and gradually took control of the match,
which lasted an hour and twenty seven minutes.
As a result of this victory, she will next take on the third seed Akgul Amanmuradova from Uzbekistan who is currently ranked number 69 in the world.
In the men’s draw India’s Somdev Dewarman, who has already won a bronze medal in the team event, made his way into the semi-finals with his partner Sanam Singh.
They overpowered the Chinese duo of Zhang Ze and Yan Bai in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 in the quarter- finals at the Aoti Tennis Centre.
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