Sania,Camerin pair crashes out of Tashkent Open

By Sunder Iyer

Tashkent, September 23, 2010: Sania Mirza's excellent run in the doubles came to an abrupt halt, as she partnering Maria Elena Camerin went down to Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania and Magdalena Rybrikova of Slovakia in the quarterfinals of the Tashkent Open at the Olympic Tennis Centre here on Thursday.

In the quarterfinals the pair of Dulgheru – Rybrikova, who had upset third seeded pair of Akgul manmuradova and Darya Kustova in the earlier round, put out the Mirza- Camerin pair 7-5, 6-1 in 1 hour and 3 minutes. Sania and Camerin made $1650 in prize-money and 70 points.

Results: Singles quarterfinals: 5-Monica Niculescu (Rou) bt 1-Alexandra Dulgheru (Rou) 7-5 (5), 2-6, 6-3; 4-Elena Vesnina (Rus) bt Darya Kustova (Blr) 6-0, 6-1; Evgeniya Rodina (Rus) bt Stefanie Voegele (Sui) 6-4, 4-6, 6-0; Alla Kudryatseva (Rus) bt Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzb) 7-6(5),6-3

Doubles quarterfinals: 4-Maria Kondratieva (Rus)/ Sophie Lefevre (Fra) bt Elena Bovina (Rus)/ Girini Georgatou (Gre) 4-6, 6-2, 11-9; Alexandra Panova (Rus)/ Tatiana Poutchek (Blr) bt 2 Olga Savchuk (Ukr)/ Arina Rodionova (Rus) 7-6 (2), 6-4; Alexandra Dulgheru (Rou)/ Magdalena Rybarikova (Svk) bt Maria Elena Camerin (Itl)/ Sania Mirza (Ind) 7/5 6/1 Jill Craybus (USA)/ Monica Niculescu (Rou) Bt Evgeniya Rodina (Rus)/Stefanie Voegle (Sui) 6/3,6/4.

Source: Sania's Media Team

Sania-Camerin pair moves into Tashkent Open quarterfinals

By Sunder Iyer

Tashkent, September 22, 2010: Putting her singles loss behind India's Sania Mirza partnering her new partner Maria Elena Camerin of Italy entered the quarterfinals of the doubles at the Tashkent Open WTA Tour event in Tashkent here today.

Playing in front Indian Embassy personnel at the Olympic Tennis Centre, Sania partnering Elina put out the Ukrainian sisters Lyudmyla and Nadiya Kichenok 6-2, 6-3 in one hour. Sania and her Italian partner will take on Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania and Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia, who upset third seeds local star Akgul Amanmuradova and Belarusian Darya Kustova 7-5,7-6(13) for a place in the last eight.

Camerin, who was seeded eighth in the singles, was upset by unseeded Swiss Stefanie Voegle 3-6, 1-6. Speaking at a post match conference Camerin former top 35 ranked doubles player said she looked forward to a long relationship with Sania as they were friends off court too. Camerin said she was sure that she and Sania would do well here as both could concentrate on the doubles as they had lost in the singles.

Results singles, Rd-2:

5-Monica Niculescu (Rom) bt Ekaterina Ivanova (Rus) 0-6, 6-0, 6-1; Darya Kustova (Blr) bt 6-Magdalena Rybarikova (Svk) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; Stefanie Voegele (Sui) bt 8-Maria Elena Camerine (Ita) 6-4, 6-1; Evgeniya Rodina (Rus) bt 3-Anna Chakvetadze (Rus) 7-6, (4), 3-2 Ret'd; 7-Alla Kudryavtseva (Rus) bt Alexandra Panova (Rus) 6-4, 6-2; 2-Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzb) b Jill Craybas (USA) 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-2; 4-Elena Vesnina (Rus) bt Olga Savchuk (Ukr) 6-2, 6-2

Doubles, Rd 1:

Elena Bovina/ Eirini Georgatou (Gre) bt Yuliana Fedak (Ukr)/ Anastasiya Vasylyeva (Ukr) 6-1, 5-7, 10-6; Alexandra Panova (Rus)/ Tatiana Poutchek (Blr) bt Albina Khabibulina (Uzb)/ Ksenia Palkina (Kgz) 6-1, 6-1; Maria Elena Camerin (Itl)/ Sania Mirza bt Lyudmyla Kichenok (Ukr)/ Madiya Kichenok (Ukr) 6-2, 6-3;Evgeniya Rodina(Rus)/Stefanie Voegle (Sui) bt Nina Bratchikova/Ekaterina Ivanova(Rus)5-7,6-4,10-7 Alexandra Dulgheru (Rou)/Magdalena Rybarikova(Svk) 7-5,7- (13), MariaKondratieva(Rus)/ Sophie Lefevre (Fra) bt Ekaterina Dzehalevich (Blr)/ LesyaTsurenko(fra) 6-3, 7-5, Olga Savchuk(ukr) / Arina Rodionova(Rus) bt Lola Azimova/Alina Abdurakhimova (Uzb) 6-0, 6-0.

Source: Sania Mirza's Media Team

Sania goes down fighting to Bychkova at Tashkent Open

By Sunder Iyer

Tashkent, September 21: Indian tennis star Sania Mirza fresh from her doubles win at Guangzhou went down fighting to Russian Ekaterina Bychkova in the first round at the Tashkent Open, a Sony Ericsson Tour event being played at the Olympic Tennis Centre in Tashkent, Uzbekistan here on Tuesday.

Bychkova ranked 175 in the world scarped past 125 ranked Sania 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in a 2 hours 7 minutes battle to make it to the second round where she will take on the top seed Alexandra Dulgheru.

Watched by her husband Shoib Malik, Sania came through a long flight late night yesterday looked rusty in the first set going down tamely 6-1 in less than 30 minutes. Sania lost her serves in the 3rd, 5th and 7th games.

In the second set Sania seemed to have found her rhythm to take the set after being down 2-4 and securing breaks in the 7th and 9th games. Bychkova served poorly serving 5 double faults.

The Indian star looked like closing the match racing off to a 5-2 lead in the decider. Bychkova, who had earlier defeated Sania at Bali in 2005, however, clawed back breaking her in the 8th, 10th and the 12th games. Mirza had two match points in the 11th game, but Bychkova hit an ace and winner to get back into the match and hold on. In the 12th game Sania had an opportunity to level scores 6-6 and force a tiebreak. However, she served two double faults which sealed her fate.

Photo caption: Sania Mirza getting tips from her coach (top) while Sania in action during her first round match at Tashkent Open on September 21, 2010.

Source: Sania's Media Team