The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Sania Mirza gets past Alexa Glatch

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 25, 2006

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Sania Mirza gets past Alexa Glatch

EASY OUTING: Sania Mirza, seen with her father Imran Mirza, had an easy opener at Forest Hills.

NEW YORK: Sania Mirza breezed past American wildcard Alexa Glatch 6-2, 6-3 to set up a second round clash with fourth seed Lourdes Lino Dominguez of Spain in the $74,800 Forest Hills Classic here.

The Indian hardly broke a sweat against the local favourite and outplayed her to move into the second round of the tier IV event.

Sania, who crashed out of the first round in last week's Rogers Cup, dominated throughout and an improved serve saw the Indian easily overcome the challenge put forth by the American.

Henin-Hardenne advances

Justin Henin-Hardenne looked anything but rusty on Wednesday night in her first match since Wimbledon.

The second-seeded Belgian cruised into the quarterfinals of the Pilot Pen with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Anabel Medina Garrigues. Recovering from a right knee injury Henin-Hardenne accepted a wild card at New Haven last week hoping to regain the form that's earned her 27 singles titles, including five majors.

``It's great to be back. I missed the tennis the last few weeks,'' Henin-Hardenne said.

She moved Medina Garrigues all over the court with her crisp passing and impressive backhands. Her deft play at the net proved just as effective. Her soft drop shots fell time and again out of reach of the 24-year-old Spaniard.

Amelie Mauresmo lost her first set then came back to beat Galina Voskoboeva 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 early on Wednesday.

``I was not surprised that it took me some time to get into the rhythm of the match,'' the top-ranked Mauresmo said. ``I think it's a little bit normal that it takes a little time. And then I adjusted a little bit more and pumped myself up and really started to be more aggressive.''

Mauresmo withdrew from last week's tournament in Montreal because of a strained right shoulder and is using this event to test the injury before the U.S. Open, which starts on Monday. She'll be seeded No. 1 there.

The results: At New Haven (Pilot Pen International): Men: Third round: Xavier Malisse bt Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-1, 6-3; Juan Ignacio Chela bt Jose Acasuso 7-6(1), 6-2; Nicolas Massu bt Jarkko Nieminen 6-3, 6-4; Agustin Calleri bt David Ferrer 6-3, 6-1; Jurgen Melzer bt Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 4-1 (retired); Robin Soderling bt Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-5; Olivier Rochus bt Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-3; Nikolay Davydenko bt Paradorn Srichaphan 6-4, 6-1.

Women: Second round: Amelie Mauresmo bt Galina Voskoboeva 4-6, 6-1, 6-2; Lindsay Davenport bt Francesca Schiavone 6-4, 6-2; Marion Bartoli bt Nadia Petrova 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4); Elena Dementieva bt Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-0; Mara Santangelo (Ita) w/o Na Li; Justine Henin-Hardenne bt Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-4, 6-2.

At New York (Forest Hills Classic): First round: Elena Vesnina bt Lucie Safarova 6-4, 6-4; Lourdes Dominguez Lino bt Iveta Benesova 6-1, 5-7, 6-2; Sania Mirza bt Alexa Glatch 6-2, 6-3; Martina Sucha bt Sybille Bammer 2-6, 6-1, 7-5.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport