Sania in Quarter Finals of Japan Open

At $175000 Japan Open tennis championships, the 2nd seed Sania (American Venus Williams is the top seed) was stretched to three sets by Casey Dellacqua of Australia in the second round on Wednesday morning before she won 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to move into the quarter-finals of the Japan Open tennis championships.

The Indian, currently ranked 28th in the world, next meets the winner of the clash between Flavia Penetta and Abigail Spears. Sania had won her singles 6-0, 6-4 against local player Ayumi Morita in the first round.

Mirza started off well taking the first set 6-4 but Dellacqua fought back in the second, breaking Mirza early to level matters, winning the second set 6-3. In the decider, Mirza stepped up the pace and took the match 6-4.

In women's doubles, Sania partnered American Christina Fusano. The Indo-American duo registered a 6-3, 6-2 win over the Polish-Romanian pair of Ursula Radwansaka and Agnes Szatmari to enter the quarter final on Tuesday.