Sania Mirza cruises into second round in Cincinnati

FE Team | Published: July 18, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

CINCINNATI (Ohio), Jul 17 (AFP): India's Sania Mirza breezed to a 6-4, 6-3 win over American Abigail Spears in the opening round Monday of the 175,000 dollar WTA event.
The No 3 seed dominated the unseeded Spears in the service game, winning 69 per cent (22-of-32) of her first serve points.
The world No 38 is on the same end of the bracket as top-seeded Russian Anna Chakvetadze, but would not face former champion Patty Schnyder until the final.
After falling in the semi-finals a year ago, Schnyder will look to reclaim the title when she opens against Australia's Monique Adamczak.
The second seed from Switzerland, Schnyder won the hardcourt tournament in 2005 for her 10th and most recent singles title.
Last year, she lost to Slovakia's Katarina Srebotnik, who finished as the runner-up to Russia's Vera Zvonareva.
Both Srebotnik and Zvonareva are not entered in this year's event.
Schnyder enters this tournament having won 15 of her previous 19 matches, including wins over Martina Hingis and Serena Williams.
The 28-year-old also reached the round of 16 at both the French Open and Wimbledon.
Chakvetadze, currently No 8 in the world, is the top seed and opens against Tatiana Poutchek of Belarus Tuesday.
The 20-year-old will be looking for her third title of the season.
Seventh-seeded Akiko Morigami fought her way past France's Camille Pin, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-2), and American Lila Osterloh took down Ukraine's Viktoriya Kutuzova, 6-2, 6-3, in other Monday action.