The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Sania Mirza starts with a win

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Tuesday, Jun 08, 2010
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Sania Mirza starts with a win

BIRMINGHAM: India's Sania Mirza made a winning return to action after her wedding to Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik as she defeated Chan Yung-Jan 6-1, 6-4 in the first round of the Birmingham WTA tournament here on Monday.

Sania had taken several months off from tennis to focus on her personal life before controversially marrying Malik in April.

But, with the storm of controversy dying down, Sania has been able to return to tennis and she quickly rediscovered her rhythm on the Birmingham grass-courts as she swatted aside Chan, a 20-year-old from Taipei.

Meanwhile, Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn, a Wimbledon quarter-finalist in 2008, cruised through as the 14th seed won 6-2, 6-2 against Lilia Osterloh of the US.

The results: First round: At Birmingham: Birmingham WTA: Alison Riske bt Sandra Zahlavova 7-6(5), 4-6, 6-0; Sesil Karatantcheva bt Katie O'Brien 6-3, 6-4; Angelique Kerber bt Misaki Doi 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Jarmila Groth bt Julie Coin 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-3; Alla Kudryavtseva bt Heather Watson 6-4, 6-3; Ekaterina Makarova bt Kai-Chen Chang 6-3, 6-3; Marina Erakovic bt Melinda Czink 7-5, 6-4; Anna Chakvetadze bt Melanie South 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Magdalena Rybarikova bt Regina Kulikova 5-7, 3-2 retired; Bethanie Mattek-Sands bt Alberta Brianti 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; Anastasia Rodionova bt Michaella Krajicek 6-3, 6-3; Laura Robson bt Stefanie Vogele 6-4, 0-1 retired; Michelle Larcher de Brito bt Ekaterina Dzehalevich 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; Mirjana Lucic bt Mariana Duque 6-1, 6-2; Tamarine Tanasugarn bt Lilia Osterloh 6-2, 6-2; Sania Mirza bt Chan Yung-Jan 6-1, 6-4.

At London: ATP Queen's Club: Paolo Lorenzi bt Pere Riba 6-4, 6-4; Kevin Anderson bt Taylor Dent 6-7(7), 6-3, 7-5; Richard Gasquet bt Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-3; Gilles Muller bt Michal Przysiezny 7-6(3), 6-3; Rainer Schuttler bt Daniel Gimeno 6-1, 6-2; Ivan Navarro bt Daniel Kollerer 6-3, 6-4; Denis Istomin bt Jamie Baker 6-1, 6-4; Michael Llodra bt Andrey Golubev 6-3, 6-2; Jesse Levine bt Ryan Harrison 6-3, 6-3; Dudi Sela bt Chris Guccione 6-7(4), 7-6(5), 6-4; Julien Benneteau bt Arnaud Clement 6-2, 6-4; Igor Kunitsyn bt Illya Marchenko 1-6, 6-4, 6-3; Robby Ginepri bt James Ward 6-3, 7-5.

At Halle: Gerry Weber Open: Philipp Petzschner bt Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 6-3; Viktor Troicki bt Guillermo Garcma-Lopez 6-1, 7-6(4); Lukas Lacko bt Jeremy Chardy 7-5, 7-6(0); Dominik Meffert bt Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-3, 7-5; Lleyton Hewitt bt Peter Luczak 6-2, 6-2; Thiemo de Bakker bt Rohan Bopanna 6-4, 7-6(11) . — AFP

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