SAN DIEGO, California (AFP) - Indian teenager Sania Mirza shocked Nadia Petrova on Wednesday, handing the fourth-seeded Russian a straight-set defeat in the US$1.3 million WTA Tour tier one tournament here.
Mirza defeated Petrova 6-2, 6-1 to reach the third round.
“When you play a world number eight, nothing is easy, even when the score is love and love,” Mirza said. "I don’t think it was going to be an easy match. I knew that as soon as I relaxed even for one second, she would have jumped on me.
“I just wanted to go out there, I had a game plan in my mind. I knew what I wanted to do, and I’m glad I could do what I wanted to do. She’s a big girl and the key was to move her around.”
Mirza, 18, won in just 53 minutes, but said she wasn’t surprised by the lopsided result.
“I don’t think when you’re on court you should be surprised,” said the world’s 59th-ranked player. “Even before I went on court I believed I could do it. Obviously the score line was a little bit easier than what I expected it to be. But I always knew everyone is beatable, and I could do it.”
Since turning pro in 2003, Mirza has a title under her belt, winning her hometown Hyderabad Open in February. She also beat reigning US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in Dubai in March.
Mirza will face Akiko Morigami of Japan in the third round.
After advancing through the qualifying tournament, Mirza beat Tathiana Garbin of Italy 6-2, 6-2 in the first round before facing Petrova.
Petrova, who played with her right forearm heavily strapped, was seeking her fourth consecutive quarter-final appearance. Instead, she left the court in tears.
Now Sania is ranked 47th.
I think sania mirza is of the finds in india for tennis…
pakistan has also a very talented player aisam-ul-haq
who won gold medal in islamic games and brought
paksitan in world group in davis cup…
but he has not a lot of exposure…
(aisam ranking is 176)