Sania reaches Stanford final
Monday, 30 July 2007
STANFORD, Jul 29 (AFP): India's Sania Mirza reached the final of the 600,000-dollar WTA Bank of the West Classic Saturday with a three-set victory over eighth-seeded Sybille Bammer. Mirza topped Austria's Bammer- her third seeded victim in a row - 6-2, 5-7, 6-3.
The world No 35 reached her first final since Forest Hills in August of 2005. Before beating Bammer, the 20-year-old had ousted fourth-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland in the quarter-finals and sixth-seeded Tatiana Golovin of France in the second round.
Mirza earned a key break in the third set to take a 4-3 advantage. After holding serve to get to 5-3, Mirza broke Bammer again to secure the win.
This will be Mirza's first Tier II final appearance. In her only career singles win, she captured the title at Hyderabad (Tier IV) in 2005 and became the first player from India to win a WTA title.
Mirza, who seems fully recovered from a knee injury that sidelined her for almost 2 ½ months earlier this year, awaits the winner of the second semi-final between top-seeded Anna Chakvetadze of Russia and No. 3 Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia. Chakvetadze has won seven consecutive hardcourt matches and is in position to capture her second straight singles title. She claimed her fifth career title and third this season Sunday at Cincinnati.
Ranked eighth in the world, the 20-year-old also has claimed titles at Hobart and Hertogenbosch this season.
The world No 35 reached her first final since Forest Hills in August of 2005. Before beating Bammer, the 20-year-old had ousted fourth-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland in the quarter-finals and sixth-seeded Tatiana Golovin of France in the second round.
Mirza earned a key break in the third set to take a 4-3 advantage. After holding serve to get to 5-3, Mirza broke Bammer again to secure the win.
This will be Mirza's first Tier II final appearance. In her only career singles win, she captured the title at Hyderabad (Tier IV) in 2005 and became the first player from India to win a WTA title.
Mirza, who seems fully recovered from a knee injury that sidelined her for almost 2 ½ months earlier this year, awaits the winner of the second semi-final between top-seeded Anna Chakvetadze of Russia and No. 3 Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia. Chakvetadze has won seven consecutive hardcourt matches and is in position to capture her second straight singles title. She claimed her fifth career title and third this season Sunday at Cincinnati.
Ranked eighth in the world, the 20-year-old also has claimed titles at Hobart and Hertogenbosch this season.