Sports India

INDIAN tennis teen sensation Sania Mirza and Be Thanie Mattek of US defeated Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia and Tetiana Luzhanska of Ukraine to enter the doubles second round of the US $ 6,00,000 WTA event at Standford. Mirza and Mattek registered a 6-1, 6-3 win over their opponents in the opening round of the tier-II event.

Earlier Sania was shown the doors by little known Russian Vasilisa Bardina in straight sets in the first round of the event.

Meanwhile Mahesh Bhupathi and his new partner Chris Haggard of South Africa failed in their first outing together as they lost to a wildcard duo in doubles opening round of the $925,000 ATP event at Kitzbuhel in Austria.

Bhupathi-Haggard went down to Phillip Kohlschreiber of Germany and Stefan Koubek of Austria 4-6 6-3 5-10 in the clay court tennis tournament yesterday.

Kohlschreiber and Koubek will next play Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina and Luis Horna, who defeated third seeds Czech duo of Frantisek Cermak and Leos Friedl 6-3 2-6 10-8.