Sania Mirza crashed out of the women’s doubles event after losing a thriller.Fourteenth seeds Sania and Francesca Schiavone of Italy made a smart recovery from a set down but failed to deliver at crucial points in the decider to lose 2-6, 6-1, 5-7 against the unseeded duo of Gisela Dulko of Argentina and Shahar Peer of Israel in a 125-minute second round match.
The opening set saw Dulko and Peer having the upper hand in service by firing three aces while Sania and Schiavone struggled with their serves as they dropped two of them to give away the first set 2-6 in 27 minutes.The Indo-Italian pair staged a fine recovery in the second set as they tightened their service game and engaged their rivals in long rallies which they won most of the time.
Sania and Schiavone broke Dulko and Peer twice in the second set while giving them no chance to do the same.
Both the pairs reserved their best for the decider which lasted 68 minutes. Sania and Schiavone smashed three aces but failed to win the crucial points.
With most of the games being stretched to deuces, breakpoints changed sides and Dulko and Peer converted more of them than their Indo-American opponents.
Dulko and Peer converted two of the nine breakpoints, while Sania and Schiavone won one out of seven.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
US Open : Sania Mirza's worst defeat
Sania Mirza offered no excuses following her 6-0 6-0 whitewash at the hands of 10th seed Flavia Pennetta at the US Open on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old Mirza had no chance against the in-form Pennetta, the first Italian woman to reach the world's top 10.
"If she plays like that, she's going to win the Open," Mirza told reporters following the 50-minute, second-round blowout under sunny skies at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
"I wasn't thinking, 'I'm playing such horrible tennis.' She had an answer for everything. That's something you just have to deal with and move on. Tomorrow's a new day."
While Pennetta has been riding a hot streak, winning the title in Los Angeles last month, world number 74 Mirza has been playing most of her tennis on the ITF circuit, a level below the main tour.
The first set was over in 22 minutes and though Mirza had a game point in the first and fifth games of the second, she could not get on the scoreboard.
Mirza said she could not recall ever getting blanked in a tennis match, even as a junior.
"I could have been more aggressive but then again she didn't give me a chance to do anything," said Mirza. "She was there from the word go. She was so aggressive."
The 27-year-old Pennetta, who lost only four games in her first-round match against Romania's Edina Gallovits, had only 10 unforced errors against Mirza.
Mirza said Pennetta always had a great backhand but her improved forehand has made her particularly dangerous.
"Suddenly you're thinking, 'What do I do now?' She's hitting from both the flanks and she's hitting really well," said the Mumbai-born Mirza. "She was all over the place.
"I told her in the locker room, 'If you play like this you're going to be number one in the world.'
The 22-year-old Mirza had no chance against the in-form Pennetta, the first Italian woman to reach the world's top 10.
"If she plays like that, she's going to win the Open," Mirza told reporters following the 50-minute, second-round blowout under sunny skies at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
"I wasn't thinking, 'I'm playing such horrible tennis.' She had an answer for everything. That's something you just have to deal with and move on. Tomorrow's a new day."
While Pennetta has been riding a hot streak, winning the title in Los Angeles last month, world number 74 Mirza has been playing most of her tennis on the ITF circuit, a level below the main tour.
The first set was over in 22 minutes and though Mirza had a game point in the first and fifth games of the second, she could not get on the scoreboard.
Mirza said she could not recall ever getting blanked in a tennis match, even as a junior.
"I could have been more aggressive but then again she didn't give me a chance to do anything," said Mirza. "She was there from the word go. She was so aggressive."
The 27-year-old Pennetta, who lost only four games in her first-round match against Romania's Edina Gallovits, had only 10 unforced errors against Mirza.
Mirza said Pennetta always had a great backhand but her improved forehand has made her particularly dangerous.
"Suddenly you're thinking, 'What do I do now?' She's hitting from both the flanks and she's hitting really well," said the Mumbai-born Mirza. "She was all over the place.
"I told her in the locker room, 'If you play like this you're going to be number one in the world.'
US OPEN : mixed doubles - Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi part ways
Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi will be playing with different partners in the mixed doubles event of the ongoing US Open tennis championships
The Australian Open mixed doubles champions reached the decision due to uncertainity over Sania's participation in the event because of her troubled wrist, which was operated upon last year.
Sania's father Imran Mirza told IANS that her wrist was troubling her again and she wanted to wait till she was sure of playing in the mixed doubles.
'Sania's wrist has been hurting on and off over the last few weeks and she was not sure whether she would play the mixed doubles event. She wanted to decide at the last moment after gauging the condition of her injury,' the elder Mirza said Thursday.
'Under the circumstances, we thought it would not be fair on Mahesh as he could end up missing out on the event if Sania was forced to back out at the last moment. Hence, it was mutually decided that he would finalise another partner for himself and in case Sania decided to play at the last moment, she would try to find someone who was still available.'
Bhupathi, who has seven Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, has paired up with the experienced American Liezel Huber and they have received top billing. The pair will open against American Vania King and Marcelo Melo of Brazil.
Sania has entered the event with 37-year old doubles specialist Daniel Nestor from Canada and the duo are are in the same half as Bhupathi-Huber. Sania and Nestor will meet Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan and Australian Ashley Fisher in the first round.
Sania's wrist injury had kept her out of action for the most part of 2008 that saw her career ranking drop from a high of 27.
The 74th-ranked Indian was blanked out of the US Open singles second round by Italian Flavia Pennetta Tuesday.Meanwhile, Leander Paes has teamed up with Cara Black of Zimbabwe and the duo are seeded second. They will play Switzerland's Patty Schnyder and South African Wesley Moodie in the first round.
The Australian Open mixed doubles champions reached the decision due to uncertainity over Sania's participation in the event because of her troubled wrist, which was operated upon last year.
Sania's father Imran Mirza told IANS that her wrist was troubling her again and she wanted to wait till she was sure of playing in the mixed doubles.
'Sania's wrist has been hurting on and off over the last few weeks and she was not sure whether she would play the mixed doubles event. She wanted to decide at the last moment after gauging the condition of her injury,' the elder Mirza said Thursday.
'Under the circumstances, we thought it would not be fair on Mahesh as he could end up missing out on the event if Sania was forced to back out at the last moment. Hence, it was mutually decided that he would finalise another partner for himself and in case Sania decided to play at the last moment, she would try to find someone who was still available.'
Bhupathi, who has seven Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, has paired up with the experienced American Liezel Huber and they have received top billing. The pair will open against American Vania King and Marcelo Melo of Brazil.
Sania has entered the event with 37-year old doubles specialist Daniel Nestor from Canada and the duo are are in the same half as Bhupathi-Huber. Sania and Nestor will meet Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan and Australian Ashley Fisher in the first round.
Sania's wrist injury had kept her out of action for the most part of 2008 that saw her career ranking drop from a high of 27.
The 74th-ranked Indian was blanked out of the US Open singles second round by Italian Flavia Pennetta Tuesday.Meanwhile, Leander Paes has teamed up with Cara Black of Zimbabwe and the duo are seeded second. They will play Switzerland's Patty Schnyder and South African Wesley Moodie in the first round.
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