The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Tatishvili puts out Sania Mirza

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 25, 2006

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Tatishvili puts out Sania Mirza

Marat Safin ousted

MIAMI : Georgian teenager Anna Tatishvili saw off Indian tennis star Sania Mirza on a rain-wrecked Thursday in the $6.9 million Miami WTA and ATP Masters Series tournament.

Tatishvili, who trains in Florida and had received a wild card, beat Sania 7-6(6), 1-6, 7-6(8) to claim her first match victory in her fourth WTA Tour event.

After letting slip a 4-0 lead in the third set, she fended off Sania's chances to take the match, despite admitting to nerves on the big stage of Stadium Court.

"I just really wanted to win," Tatishvili said. "She hung in there and she was playing some great tennis," said Sania, who this week received the WTA award for best newcomer of 2005, but who fell in an opening match for the third time in seven events in 2006.

"I guess it's a bit tough when you're not really playing the best tennis and the other girl is just playing some unbelievable shots," she said.

The delays meant the Stadium Court clash between Briton Tim Henman and Russian Marat Safin didn't get on court until after midnight. Once it did, Henman downed Safin 6-3, 6-3.

Before the rain struck, France's Arnaud Clement routed Australian qualifier Peter Luczak 6-1, 6-2 to earn the dubious distinction of a clash with top seeded Swiss Roger Federer.

Important results: Men: Luis Horna bt Florian Mayer 6-4, 7-6(5); Greg Rusedski bt Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-1; Arnaud Clement bt Peter Luczak 6-1, 6-2; Mark Philippussis bt Davide Sanguinetti 6-4, 4-6, 6-3; Vincent Spadea bt Andreas Seppi 6-1, 6-4; Max Mirnyi bt Gilles Muller 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-4; Alberto Martin bt Andrei Pavel 6-2, 6-2; Simon Greul bt Paradorn Srichaphan 5-7, 6-2, 7-5; Tim Henman bt Marat Safin 6-3, 6-3.

Women: Anna Tatishvili bt Sania Mirza 7-6(6), 1-6, 7-6(8); Michaella Krajicek bt Zi Yan 6-3, 5-7, 6-1; Anna Chakvetadze bt Karolina Sprem 1-6, 6-3, 6-3; Jill Craybas bt Jelena Kostanic 6-3, 4-6, 6-1; Lourdes Dominguez Lino bt Anna Smashnova 5-3 retd.; Tathiana Garbin bt Laura Granville 7-6(1), 1-6, 6-4. — Agencies

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