Asian Games tennis latest, Sania Mirza cruises into quarters
The 24-year-old Sania Mirza from India has reached the quarter final round of the women's singles tennis event at the Asian Games in China on Friday. The right hander confirmed her final eight berth after posting a two setter win over her sixth seed foe
Shuai Zhang of China. The final match score was 6-2, 6-2.
Currently ranked number 166 in the South African Airways WTA list, Mirza who tied the knot with Pakistani cricketer, Shoaib Malik, in April this year, required one hour and seventeen minutes to cruise past her Chinese opponent on Friday.
The Indian, as a result of this victory will take on thirty-three year old Tamarine Tanasugarn, a second seed player from Thailand for a semi final spot in China.
Both of them traded a couple of breaks but Mirza was a notch better in committing less errors as she also held her serve at crucial moments that earned her a win in the end.
Sania looked strong right from the start as she quickly took a lead of 3-1 and then prevented two break point chances in the seventh game of the opening set. She won the first set after hitting a stinging backhand deep and low.
The Chinese, however, bounced back strongly in the following set, breaking her foe in the first game. Mirza did well to pull off immediately and thus leveled the scores. After further improving her game, the Hyderabad resident sealed her win in the second
set with a forehand winner.
In the men’s side, Karan Rastogi and Somdev Devvarman also successfully made their way into the third round with victories in their respective matches earlier in the day. Somdev, who is seeded number two to win the title at the Asian Games, needed only thirty-seven
minutes for a straight set whitewash of Jabor Mohammed Al Mutawa of Qatar. The final score line was 6-0, 6-0. He will next meet Vaja Uzakov, a sixteen seed player from Uzbekistan for a quarterfinal place.
The seventh seed Karan, on the other hand, also brushed aside Turkmenistan's Myalikkuli Mamedkuliyev in two sets on Friday. The final match score was 6-0, 6-0. The right hander will next play the tenth seed Ti Chen of Chinese Taipei.
The sixth seed duo of Sanam Singh and Somdev later combined to get past Johnny Arcilla and Ruben Jr. Gonzales in a two setter clash. The final match score was 6-4, 6-2. The Indian pair will next face Zhang Ze and Bai Yan of China in the final eight round.
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