India's Role Model Should Be Sania!

Vintage Sania storms into Pattaya Open singles quarterfinal

12 Feb 2009, 1923 hrs IST, PTI

PATTAYA: A vintage Sania Mirza steamrolled Russian qualifier Vitalia Diatchenko 6-4, 6-0 to storm into the quarterfinals of the USD 220,000 Pattaya Open tennis tournament on Thursday. Sania played perhaps her best tennis after comeback from a wrist surgery and sent the Russian opponent packing in one hour and two minutes in her second round match.

The Russian, who had upset third seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in the first round, had to surrender meekly to her Indian opponent after the two held their serves till the eighth game of the first set. Sania broke the Russian in the ninth game to go up 5-4 and then sealed the first set by holding her serve.

The Indian then showed her ruthless form by winning all the six games of the second set, finishing off each game with ease. The only game of the second set which saw some opposition from the Russian was the fifth one but Sania won it, breaking her opponent's serve. Sania will next play six seeded Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand who beat Neuza Silva of Portugal 6-3, 6-2 in another second round match. Partnering Italian Mara Santangelo, Sania had also made it to the semifinals of the doubles event.