Injured Sania Returns Home

Tennis star Sania Mirza returned home after cutting short the last-leg of her schedule for the year as she pulled her stomach muscle in the quarterfinal against Flavia Pennetta in Japan two weeks ago.

“With the specific objective of finishing in the top 25 of the world rankings and thereby getting a direct seeding in next year’s Australian Open, Sania played on despite considerable discomfort in the Moscow and the Zurich Opens. But the injury seemed to be getting worse without the much-needed rest,” Imran Mirza, father of Sania, said.

Consequently, Sania had to pull out of the Austrian and the Canadian events scheduled in the next two weeks.

More importantly, the Hyderabad tennis sensation will be playing in the Hopman Cup in Perth from December 30 along with Rohan Bopanna.

However, this means that she will have to miss a WTA world ranking tournament which will take place around that time. — Principal Correspondent.

Stomach Injury Pulls Sania Down

A stomach muscle injury has cut short Sania Mirza's 2007 season in its final leg, leaving the 20-year-old's hopes of being seeded at next year's Australian Open hanging in balance.

Mirza suffered the injury during her quarterfinal loss to Flavia Pennetta in Japan two weeks ago but played in the Tier I tournaments of Moscow and Zurich with aim of reaching her season's goal of reaching number 25 in world rankings. But that was not to be as she lost in the first round in both the weeks, to Gisela Dulko and Michaella Krajicek respectively. "A victory in round one of either Moscow or Zurich would have fetched her 60 WTA points and that would have ensured her goal," Imran Mirza, the Hyderabadi player's father, said.

Mirza, who returned to her home in Hyderabad last night, was scheduled to play in the next two weeks in Austria ($600,000) and Canada ($175,000) from where she has since withdrawn, her father added.

Imran Mirza, however, confirmed that his daughter would play in the Hopman Cup, the mixed team event to be played in Perth, Australia, from December 30. Rohan Bopanna is the other member of the Indian team.

The flip side of playing in the Hopman Cup is that Sania Mirza would end the year with her current ranking of 30 or below. Only the top 32 get seeded in Grand Slams. The Australian Open starts on Jan 14.

But Mirza was intent on pushing such thoughts out of her mind for the moment.

"I am mentally tired and my body is crying out for a break. I'm looking forward to a rest and then a great season next year," Mirza said.

"It has been a long and hard year for me, where I had to make repeated comebacks from two serious injuries (knee and wrist) and a surgery."

Sania-Schnyder Crash Out Of Doubles At Zurich Open

Sania Mirza and her partner Patty Schnyder have been knocked out of the first round in the women's doubles of the Zurich Open.

The pair was beaten by Shuai Peng of Chin and Meilen Tu of the United States in straight sets 3-6, 1-6.

Earlier, the 20-year-old India had been knocked out in the first round of the singles' event of the $1.3 million Zurich Open.

Sania lost in straight sets to Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands 6-1, 6-4. She had also lost to Gisela Dulko of Argentina in the first round of the Kremlin Cup a few days back.

Sania has also slipped one spot to be ranked 30th in the latest WTA rankings.

Source: http://www.ibnlive.com/news/saniaschnyder-crash-out-of-doubles-at-zurich-open/50747-5-22.html

Sania-Bopanna Get Direct Entry To Hopman Cup

Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna have been given direct entry for this year's Hopman Cup on the basis of their surprise good show in the last edition of the event.

The duo is the fourth team to be given direct entry for the 20th edition of the tournament slated from December 29 to January 4 in Perth.

Last year, India qualified for the event after winning the inaugural Asian Hopman Cup. They went on to upset Croatia and the Czech Republic before a loss to Spain prevented them from reaching the final.

Sania and Bopanna were undefeated in the mixed doubles and finished second in their group last year, which led to the organisers extending a direct invite to the pair this time.

"I am delighted to invite India directly into the field. It's a just reward for their challenge last year and for Sania's considerable progress this year," Tournament Director Paul McNamee said.

"Sania is a bona fide superstar in India and at only 20 years of age is on target to reach her goal of being the first Indian woman in the top 20," he added.

However, Sania has not been having the best of times of late. She was recently struggling with a wrist injury and has dropped to 30th in WTA rankings this week.

Though Sania had a brilliant run at the US hard courts this summer -- beating the likes of Martina Hingis, Dinara Safina, Shahar Peer and Patty Schnyder -- but her form has been inconsistent since then.

After her return to the WTA tour following her recovery from the wrist injury, she has suffered two back-to-back first round exits -- in Kremlin Cup and this week's Zurich Open.

In contrast, Bopanna has had a successful year on the Challenger circuit winning a singles tournament in Dublin and five doubles titles which propelled him to 86th in the ATP doubles ranking.

Apart from the four teams, the Asian Hopman cup winners will be the fifth side in the annual event in Perth.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/007200710161340.htm

Sania-Schnyder Duo Crashes Out In Kremlin Doubles Quarters

India’s Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Patty Schnyder crashed out in the quarterfinal of the $2,340,000 Kremlin Cup. The top seeds Cara Black of Zimbabwe and Liezel Huber of South Africa overpowered the Sania-Schnyder duo 6-3, 5-7, 10-7 in an entrancing match of the WTA meet played at the Olympic stadium in Moscow on Thursday.

After losing the first set, Sania and her partner Schnyder regained their lost touch in the second set and won it 7-5 while they strived to win the match by giving a sturdy fight in the third set stretching it to 17 games, but Black and Huber turned out to be the winner at the end by eventually clinching the set 10-7 with luck must have been surely riding on their side as well.

It is strange enough that Sania and Huber played in a number of tournaments together and won various titles as well. The 29th ranked Sania came in to this tournament after a quarterfinal appearance at the Japan Open last week

Earlier on Monday, the 20-year old Sania Mirza crashed out, in the first round of the singles event of Tier I tournament in an hour and 15 minutes going down, 3-6, 4-6 to Argentine Gisela Dulko. This was the third straight time that the Argentinean had beaten the Indian in their meeting so far.

Source: http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/1137

Sania Crashes Out Of The WTA Kremlin Open Singles

Sania Mirza crashed out of the WTA Kremlin Cup in the first round going down 6-3, 6-4 to Argentine Gisela Dulko in Moscow on Monday.

The 29th ranked Indian could not find her bearings and went out of the $2,340,000 Tier I tournament in an hour and 15 minutes.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/2007/10/10/stories/2007101056691900.htm

Sania Moves To Doubles Second Round Of The Kremlin Open

Sania Mirza and Patty Schnyder of Switzerland beat Vera Dushevina of Russia and Tatiana Perebiyinis of Ukraine in straight sets to advance to the second round in the doubles competition of the WTA Kremlin Open.

The Indo-Swiss combination scored a 6-1 6-3 win to set up a clash with top seed Cara Black of Zimbabwe and Liezel Huber of USA.

Cara and Huber had outplayed the Russian pair of Maria Kirlenko and Elena Vesnina 6-2 6-2 in the first round.

Sania has already crashed out of the singles event, losing her first round match to Argentine Gisela Dulko on Tuesday.

Source: http://sports.indiatimes.com/Sania_moves_to_doubles_second_round/articleshow/2446310.cms

Sania, Fusano Sail To The Quarter Final Of Japan Open

Sania Mirza and her American partner Christina Fusano advanced to the quarterfinals of USD 175,000 Japan Open with a straight set victory over the Polish-Romanian pair of Ursula Radwansaka and Agnes Szatmari in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Sania and Fusano beat their rivals 6-3 6-2. The Indo-American pair will now take on the winner of the first-round match between the Spanish duo of Arantxi Parra Santonja and Lourdes Dominguez Lino and the Colombian-American combine of Catalina Castano and Abigail Spears.

Sania had earlier won her singles opener against local wild-card Ayumi Morita. The second seeded Indian will be up against Australian Casey Dellacqua in the second round.

Sania-Fusano In Japan Open Quarters

Sania Mirza and her American partner Christina Fusano advanced to the quarterfinals of $175,000 Japan Open with a straight set victory over the Polish-Romanian pair of Ursula Radwansaka and Agnes Szatmari in Tokyo on Tuesday.

Sania and Fusano beat their rivals 6-3, 6-2.

The Indo-American pair will now take on the winner of the first-round match between the Spanish duo of Arantxi Parra Santonja and Lourdes Dominguez Lino and the Colombian-American combine of Catalina Castano and Abigail Spears.

Sania had earlier won her singles opener against local wildcard Ayumi Morita. The second seeded Indian will be up against Australian Casey Dellacqua in the second round.

Source: http://sports.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2422290.cms

Sania Advances To Second Round Of Japan Open

Playing her first match since US Open, Sania Mirza started her Japan Open campaign in style by outplaying local player Ayumi Morita 6-0 6-4 in the first round of the USD 1,75,000 tennis tournament in Tokyo on Monday.

The second seeded Indian, who skipped the Sunfeast Open in Kolkata due to a wrist injury, next faces Australian Cassey Dellacqua in the Tier III event.

Sania, pairing with American Christina Fusano, will open her doubles campaign on Tuesday against Urszula Radwanska of Poland and Agnes Szatmari of Romania.

The tournament saw its first upset when seventh seed and local hope Aiko Nakamura lost 3-6 4-6 to Czech Republic's Klara Zakopalova.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/