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Sania storms into the quarterfinals

Injured del Potro retires from Shanghai Masters; Monfils overcomes Hewitt

Osaka: Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza sailed into the Japan Open quarterfinals after notching up a straight-set win over Ukraine’s Viktoriya Kutuzova here on Wednesday.

Sania defeated Viktoriya 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 23 minutes to set up a tough quarterfinal against second-seeded Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli.

Both Sania and Viktoriya served badly in the opening set, committing five double faults each. But Sania managed to convert a crucial break point to go 1-0 up.

The Indian was more in control in the second set and she cut back on her service errors, saving three of the four break points she faced.

Three double faults

Viktoriya, however, continued to serve poorly and was broken thrice by the Indian, who was also helped by the three double faults the Ukrainian committed.

Sania goes into the match against World No. 12 Bartoli with a 1-0 head-to-head record as the Indian had beaten her in the 2005 U.S Open.

At Shanghai, U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro retired because of a right wrist injury while trailing 7-5, 2-1 to Austrian Juergen Melzer in the second round of the Shanghai Masters.

The Argentine third seed followed Andy Roddick in departing the $3.24-million event early because of injury after the American fourth seed limped away from his second-round meeting with Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka with a knee problem on Tuesday.

With World No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 3 Andy Murray skipping the tournament because of fatigue and a wrist injury respectively, del Potro’s departure is certain to intensify the debate over the length of the men’s season.

The World No. 5 lost his first match since his Flushing Meadow triumph to the World No. 189 in Tokyo last week and looked out of sorts at the start of his second.

Melzer, who had never beaten his 21-year-old opponent in five previous meetings, clinched the first set on a tie-break and was preparing for his opponent’s second service game of the second when del Potro decided he could no longer continue. French 11th seed Gael Monfils reached the third round after coming from behind to beat former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in a tight, two-hour contest.

Hewitt broke Monfils in the opening game of the deciding set but the Frenchman borrowed a page from the Australian’s playbook and dug deep to set up a last 16 contest against seventh seed Fernando Verdasco or Ivan Ljubicic.

“I just didn’t serve well enough and get enough cheap points when I needed to, especially when I was up the early break in the third set,” said Hewitt. “You have just got to stay mentally tough in those situations.”

Safin bows out

Marat Safin, who is retiring at the end of the season, played his last match in front of his adoring Chinese fans, bowing out with an ill-tempered 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 second round defeat to Czech Tomas Berdych.

Hewitt, like Safin, is a former World No. 1 now in his late 20s and with more than his share of injury problems. However, he said he had never really considered following the Russian’s lead and bringing his career to an end.

“It hasn’t really seriously crossed my mind,” the 28-year-old Australian said. “The only small thing that came in was obviously before I had (hip) surgery last year.

“I think once I made the decision to have the surgery, then that pretty much showed the motivation was still there.”

The results: At Osaka: WTA Japan Open: Second round: Marion Bartoli bt Karumi Nara 6-1, 6-1; Francesca Schiavone bt Chan Yung-jan 6-3, 0-6, 6-3; Sania Mirza bt Viktoriya Kutuzova 6-4, 6-3; Melinda Czink bt Vania King 6-4, 6-2.

At Shanghai: ATP Shanghai Masters: Second round: Gael Monfils bt Lleyton Hewitt 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; Tomas Berdych bt Marat Safin 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Feliciano Lopez bt David Ferrer 4-6, 7-5, 6-1; Rainer Schuettler bt Tommy Haas 6-4 (retd.); Juergen Melzer bt Juan Martin del Potro 7-5, 2-1 (retd.); Tommy Robredo bt Florian Mayer 4-6, 7-6(10), 6-4; Ivan Ljubicic bt Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 7-6(6); Robin Soderling bt Nicolas Almagro 6-4, 7-5; Rafael Nadal bt James Blake 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-4; Novak Djokovic bt Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-1; Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bt Zeng Shaoxuan 6-3, 6-3. — Agencies

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