Sports India

Sania Mirza and her U.S. partner Bethanie Mattek easily defeated the Russian-Ukrainian pair of Alla Kudrayavtseva and Tetiana Luzhanska 6-1, 6-3.

They are now set for a second round clash with Shikkha Uberoi and Slovak Jelena Jankovic at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford.

The Indo-U.S. team will meet with tough opposition in Sania’s Fed Cup partner Shikha and her partner Jelena, who cased a major upset beating the top seed Japanese-Slovak duo of Ai Sugiyama and Daniel Hantuchove 6-3, 6-4 in the first round.

Sania crashed out of the singles event in the first round losing in straight sets to 98th ranked Russian Vasilisa Bardian. However, she managed to come out of her losing streak with good doubles form.

An erratic Sania Mirza crashed out of the Stanford Classic after unheralded Russian Vasilisa Bardina decimated her in straight sets in the first round of the 600,000 dollar WTA Tier II hardcourt event.
Playing in the surface of her choice, Sania was never in the game and the Russian hardly broke a sweat as she thrashed her Indian opponent 6-3, 6-2.

In the final match of the day, Sania, world ranked 42nd, was expected to have a cakewalk against the 98th ranked Russian but the Indian was a pale shadow of her usual self as she surrendered without a fight.

After losing the first set to the Russian blonde, Sania further let it go and the second set proved a completely lop-sided affair with the Russian romping home with consummate ease.

Bardina now takes on Anna-Lena Groenefeld after the German received a bye in the first round, according to information received here today.

Sania teams up with American Bethanie Mattek in women’s doubles and the duo takes on Russian-Ukrainian pair of Alla Kudryavtseva and Tetiana Luzhanska in the first round.

And Sania may well run into her Fed Cup teammate Shikha Uberoi and the latter’s Serbian teammate Jelena Jankovic in the second round.

Earlier, US-based Shikha and Jankovic got the better of Slovak Daniela Hantuchova and her Japanese teammate Ai Sugiyama 6-3, 6-4 to sail into the second round of the doubles event.

This year’s Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the top sporting prize in India, will travel to Bangalore with all three nominees coming from the garden city.

The winner will be announced in the second week of August, but the sporting fraternity here and other Bangaloreans are already picking their favourites.

Indian captain Rahul Dravid is one of three contenders. However, the odds are against Dravid, considering that Sachin Tendulkar is the only cricketer to receive the prize and that was about eight years ago.

Locals, however, back Dravid to the hilt saying that he has done consistently well for India.

But going purely by previous record, tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi and top cueist Pankaj Advani have a better chance at winning the award.

The Khel Ratna has predominantly been conferred on people who play individual sports rather than team sports.

Members of Bangalore’s sporting fraternity believe that this is also a good chance for sports other than cricket to get recognition.

Former India cricketer and selector Syed Kirmani said his man for the award was cueist Pankaj Advani

“Advani has been a three time world champion. He is my man for the award,” said Kirmani.

Former athlete Ashwini Nachappa also backed Advani.

“As a young boy he has done wonders. He is one of the few athletes who has won all the major titles in one year and he deserves the award more,” she said.

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.

Sania Mirza lost to seventh seed Elena Dementieva in the first round of Wimbledon. The Russian defeated the Indian teenager 7-6 (7-5) 7-5. The defeat means Mirza has slipped two places to 40th in the latest WTA rankings. Amelie Mauresmo won the women’s singles title with a 2-6 6-3 6-4 victory over Belgian Justine Henin-Hardene. In the men’s event, Roger Federer won his fourth consecutive title with a 6-0 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 victory over arch-rival and current French Open champion, Rafael Nadal.
In the mixed doubles event, Sania paired up with Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands. After a convincing first round victory for the pair, they struggled to get any sort of fluency in the second round. Dementieva proved to be her nemesis once again as she and Pennetta ended Mirza’s bid for Wimbledon glory, courtesy of a 6-4 6-2 victory.

Israel was awarded a Federation Cup match when the Indonesian team forfeited by refusing to play a World Group II playoff in Israel. The International Tennis Federation’s Fed Cup committee will consider sanctions against Indonesia. The ITF said it had received confirmation in writing that Indonesia would not travel to the 15-16 July match in Ramat Hasharon.
ITF president Francesco Ricci Bitti added that the federation was saddened by the decision. “The team was ready and willing to play and understood, perhaps better than their government, that sport in its purest form is about building bridges,” said Ricci Bitti.

Sania Mirza and Marta Domachowska of Poland lost in the final of the women’s doubles event at the Cincinnati Open.

The third seeds went down to the top-seeded pair of Maria Elena Camerin of Italy and Gisela Dulko of Argentina 4-6, 6-3, 2-6.

Sania had earlier lost to top seed and world number 8 Patty Schnyder in the singles

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 USD 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.

Sania Mirza was shown the way out of the Stanford Classic in the first round by little-known Russian Vasilisa Bardina. Sania crashed out in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 from the $60,000 WTA event.

Playing on the surface of her choice, 42-ranked Sania lacked consistency losing the first set without putting up much of a fight. Though she had made it to the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open last week, the dominant Bardina swept her out of the match.

Sania is teamed up with American Bethanie Mattek in doubles and will meet the Russian-Ukrainian pair - Alla Kudryavtseva and Tetiana Luzhanska - in the first round.

US-based Shikha Oberoi and Yelena Jankovic beat Slovak Daniela Hantuchova and her Japanese teammate Ai Sugiyama 6-3 6-4 to go into the second round of the doubles event.

After losing in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open last week, Sania Mirza had another disappointing outing in the US after losing in the first round of the Stanford Tier-II WTA event.

The 42nd ranked Hyderabad Hurricane lost to little known Russian Vasilisa Bardina in straight sets.

The Indian number one’s continuing lack of consistency cost her a 6-3, 6-2 defeat at the hands of her 98th-ranked opponent, who now plays Anna Lena Groenefeld in the second round.

The tournament is by no means over for 19-year-old Sania as she is playing alongside American Bethanie Mattek in the doubles event.

SANIA Mirza`s first quarterfinal appearance on the WTA tour this season could not help the Indian tennis icon as she slipped two places to be 42nd in the latest rankings announced today.

Sania, partnering Marta Domachowska of Poland lost 4-6, 6-3, 2-6 to Maria Elena Camerin of Italy and Gisela Dulko of Argentina in the final of the Cincinnati Open tennis tournament.

The Indo polish pair seemed to bounce back when they came back from behind to level scores 1-1 but could not put up a show in the decider.

Sania had lost to top seed Patty Schnyder of Switzerland in the quarterfinal of Cincinnati Open at Ohio.

US based Indian Shikha Uberoi was placed 171st three places down from her last week`s 168th position but Delhi`s Ankita Bhambri at 345th, was the third highest ranked singles player from the country.

Sania`s feat of reaching finals in the Cincinnati Open resulted in her career-best 31st rank in doubles. She was 33rd last week.

On the men`s chart, Harsh Mankad scaled a whopping 109 places to displace Rohan Bopanna as the top ranked Indian, being 287th. Bopanna and Karan Rastogi lost five places each to be 298th and 344th behind Mankad.

In the doubles, veterans Leander Paes was unmoved at 14th while his ex-partner Mahesh Bhupathi climbed up one place to be 23rd, Bopanna was 141st.