Dubai: Jelena Beats Sania in 2nd Round

Jelena Jankovic beat Indian star Sania Mirza in a tough three set match at the Dubai Tennis Championships. The world number four lost the first set after being broken twice, but hit back to win two closely fought sets.

The final result for this closely fought match was 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. The match lasted for 2 hours 14 minutes.

Dubai: Sania in 2nd Round

Sania Mirza overcame a stuttering start to power her way to a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win over qualifier Vera Dushevina on the second day of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships being played at the Dubai Tennis Stadium.

Sania found her shot making slightly difficult in the first set but pounded her opponent’s corners with her ferocious forehands. Sania, ranked 32 in the world, broke the 44th ranked Vera thrice in the second set as the Russian made quite a few unforced errors.

Sania’s next opponent will be fourth seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia.

Qatar Open: Injured Sania Concedes Defeat in First Round

Muscle cramps forced Sania Mirza to pull out of the deciding set against Belarussian Olga Govortsova in the first round of the $2.5 million Qatar Open at the Khalifa Tennis Complex here. Sania, currently ranked 32nd in the world, returned to the court here after a month-long injury lay-off. She was injured during the Australian Open mixed doubles finals.

Sania was trailing 2-3 in the third set when she opted out, thereby, handing over the match to the 50th ranked Govortsova 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 3-2 in two hours and 20 minutes. Sania started her match on a positive note against Govortsova and took little time to pocket the first set 6-4. She lost the next in the tiebreaker though she had five match points.

Sania, Please Do Not Forget Our Love!

Sania, we know there are those few who would always create controversies just because they do not have anything much to prove their worth in this world.

There will always exist such a few people who would try to attribute new definitions on those terms like 'patriotism' and try to take a sadistic pleasure from hindering the success of others and creating a sense of anxiety in others' mind and, by that way, concealing their own shortcomings.

It happens to everyone -- even if you are the ordinary girl on the street. For any success you achieve, however insignificant that is, you always generate a few jealous eyes in the street.

Sania, please donot allow them to take more sadistic pleasure that they may derive by watching the sense of displeasure in you. So, please do not deprive us of the pleasure of watching you in Indian courts. Let every smash that you take on the ball be an answer to their criticism.

We will be watching you and will fill the stadium and the sky above that with sounds of our claps for every shot you take.

And we far outnumber them.

Federation Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group I : Sania saved India from Relegation

In Bangkok today, Sania could not play any of India's Pool A matches due to leg injury, but finally she decided to take the field in the deciding doubles after the tie was locked 1-1. Her return to the court saved India from demotion as India beat Hong Kong 2-1 in the Federation Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group I relegation play-off here today.

Earlier, Shikha Uberoi had helped India to a 1-0 lead with a 6-1, 7-6 victory over Yang Zi-jun but Isha Lakhani lost to Zhang Ling in the second rubber before the doubles match.

Pairing with Sunitha Rao, Sania was instrumental in downing the Hong Kong pair of Yang Zi-jun and Zhang Ling 7-6, 6-2 to ensure that India finish 7th in the eight-team Group I and remain in the same group next year.

India had lost to Indonesia (1-2), New Zealand (1-2) and Australia (0-3) in the earlier matches of Pool A league and thus this match was crucial for India to retain its position in the group.