The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Sania storms into doubles final

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 27, 2006

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Sania storms into doubles final

Germany reaches final of ATP World Team championship

Istanbul: Sania Mirza and her American partner Alicia Molik came back from behind to chalk out a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 win against Czech-Ukraine pair of Eva Hrdinova and Yuliana Fedak and stormed into the final of Istanbul Cup on Friday.

The Indo-Australian pair will now take on the winner of the other semifinal between Ukraine-Belarus pair of Alona Bondarenko and Anastasiya Yakimova and Israel-Slovak duo of Janette Husarova and Shahar Peer in the final, according to information received here.

In singles play, Anastasia Myskina of Russia and Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany advanced to the semifinals.

Second-seeded Groenefeld defeated Karolina Sprem of Croatia, while the top-seeded Myskina beat sixth-seeded Catalina Castano.

Myskina said she found Castano's style difficult to respond to. "She threw balls that were high and low. I could not serve the way I wanted to," Myskina said.

Myskina will face ninth-seeded Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands, who beat Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus 6-1, 6-0.

Fourth-seeded Shahar Peer of Israel defeated Mara Santangelo of Italy 6-1, 6-2 and will play Groenefeld next.

Germany reaches final

In Duesseldorf, holder Germany reached the final of the $2.36 million ATP World Team Championship with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic on Thursday.

The doubles pair of Michael Kohlmann and Alexander Waske defeated the duo of Tomas Berdych and Leos Friedl 10-5 in a thrilling match tie-break to send the host into Saturday's final.

Philipp Kohlschreiber outlasted Robin Vik 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to give Germany the lead. "I played great tennis in the first set but lost track a bit in the second," Kohlschreiber said.

Tomas Berdych equalised by edging Nicolas Kiefer 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3.

In the day's other Red Group match, Jose Acasuso beat Davide Sanguinetti twice to lift Argentina over Italy 2-1.

Acasuso beat Sanguinetti in singles 6-2, 6-0 and then joined Sebastian Prieto to beat Sanguinetti and Filippo Volandri 7-6(3), 6-1 in doubles. Volandri beat David Nalbandian 6-4, 7-5 to give Italy its only point.

The results:

At Duesseldorf:

ATP World Team Cup:

Germany bt Czech Republic 2-1 (Philipp Kohlschreiber bt Robin Vik 6-3, 3-6, 6-1; Nicolas Kiefer lost to Tomas Berdych 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-3; Michael Kohlmann & Alexander Waske bt Tomas Berdych & Leos Friedl 6-4, 6-7(2), 10-5 (after match tie-break).

Argentina bt Italy 2-1 (Jose Acasuso bt Davide Sanguinetti 6-2, 6-0; David Nalbandian lost to Filippo Volandri 6-4, 7-5; Acasuso & Sebastian Prieto bt Sanguinetti & Volandri 7-6(3), 6-1.

At Poertschach (ATP Hypo Group International tournament): Quarterfinals: Luis Horna bt Juan Monaco 6-3, 6-4; Andrei Pavel bt Oliver Marach 6-4, 6-2; Nikolay Davydenko bt Potito Starace 6-2, 6-1; Jiri Novak bt Juergen Melzer 6-7(7), 6-4, 6-4.

At Istanbul (WTA Istanbul Cup): Singles: Quarterfinals: Anastasia Myskina bt Catalina Castano 6-4, 7-6(3); Anna-Lena Groenefeld bt Karolina Sprem 6-4, 6-4; Shahar Peer bt Mara Santangelo 6-1, 6-2; Michaella Krajicek bt Anastasiya Yakimova 6-1, 6-0.

At Strasbourg (WTA Strasbourg International): Quarterfinals: Shuai Peng bt Martina Muller 7-5, 6-4; Anabel Medina-Garrigues bt Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-4; Nicole Vaidisova bt Zheng Jie 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; Jelena Jankovic bt Li Na 7-5, 6-1.

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