The Hindu : Sport : Sania Mirza on the prowl at the Flushing Meadows

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Saturday, Sep 03, 2005

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Sania Mirza on the prowl at the Flushing Meadows

SCALING NEW HEIGHTS: Sania Mirza is all smiles after defeating Marion Bartoli of France in straight sets to advance to the fourth round of the U.S. Open on Friday. - Photo: AP

NEW YORK: Sania Mirza smashed her way through to the fourth round of the U.S. Open with a 7-6(4), 6-4 victory over the 43rd-ranked Marion Bartoli of France.

In doing so, the 18-year-old Sania bettered her Grand Slam record of reaching the third round of the Australian Open.

Hammering as many as 45 winners in the two sets — compare this with the 21 and 36 winners in the first two matches that had stretched to three sets — Sania showed that she was one of the brightest talents on view in the world of tennis.

The good thing about her is that the best is yet to come, as the 42nd-ranked Sania would wait for the No.1 seed Maria Sharapova of Russia for a royal battle in the pre-quarterfinals.

She did play like a millionaire and generously contributed points to her opponent, as Sania committed as many as 49 unforced errors to the miserly 14 by her opponent. But Bartoli hit only four winners in the whole match.

Aces and backhand magic

Sania had a poor success rate of 49 per cent on her first serve, but the girl served so well that she hit her first aces in the championship and some of them on key points.

When it came to athleticism, an aspect for which she was often criticised, Sania showed that she could hit superb shots on the run, as the French girl tried to run her from flank-to-flank. The backhand pass cross-court on the run in the ninth game took the cake, though there were many that competed with that shot for the honour.

Moreover, it was a match in which Sania's backhand was working like magic, as she swivelled and punched the shots at acute angles. It meant double trouble for her opponent who was soon grounded, unable to cope with the relentless onslaught.

After having been broken five times, including the first game of the second set when she saved three breakpoints, Sania served increasingly well, especially in her last three service games that ensured a smooth finish in an hour and 35 minutes.

Though she started on the wrong note, winning a mere two points in the first two games of the match, Sania finished in a blaze of glory, hitting a couple of rousing backhand winners and winding up the show with a forehand down the line.

Unusual celebration

For the first time in the tournament, Sania celebrated more than usual, as she dropped the racquet and put her hands up in triumph before walking to shake hands with Bartoli, who was well and truly vanquished.

The first set was as dramatic as any contest featuring Sania. Hitting 23 winners and making 31 unforced errors, Sania took everyone's breath away, including that of her opponent. It was the Indian girl who was making everything happen, as her opponent had one winner and seven errors to show for her ability or otherwise at that stage.

Sania smacked successive backhand winners to be up 6-1 in the tie-break; but a string of errors including a double-fault saw her bridge the gap to 6-4. However, Bartoli put her forehand wide in losing the first set.

Sania could have served out that set at 5-4 but got broken at love as she blundered on a couple of sitters. It was an up and down set, as Sania found her rhythm after being 0-2. She raced up to 4-2 but allowed herself to be broken for the second time in the eighth game and later in the tenth.

Bartoli had medical attention paid to her left calf muscle and returned after getting it taped, but could not withstand the fury of Sania's strokeplay.

Sania has already assured herself $70,000 and 112 WTA points. From now on, she will be playing for pride!

Agassi's run

Andre Agassi continued his run for one more Grand Slam title in his 20th visit to the Flushing Meadows when he toppled Ivo Karlovic 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 7-6(4) on Thursday.

At 35, nine years older than the gangling giant across the net, Agassi came up bigger on the big points. His wife, Steffi Graf, and three-year-old son, Jaden, watched at courtside.

James Blake, coming off a hometown title in New Haven last weekend, set up a third-round match against No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal by beating Igor Andreev of Russia 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 in a night match.

Meanwhile, Paradorn Srichaphan made it into the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time this year on Friday with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 upset of sixth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko.

The 26-year-old Thai was the beneficiary of two key errors by Davydenko. Paradorn next meets Italian Davide Sanguinetti, who beat former world No. 1 Carlos Moya 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. — Agencies

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