Sport - Tennis

Sania advances

DUBAI: Sania Mirza won her opening match of the WTA Dubai Open defeating qualifier Vera Dushevina 7-6(5), 6-2 here on Tuesday. Sania, a wildcard entrant at the event, won the first set in a tie-break before winning the second easily.

Earlier in the day, Sania and her Italian doubles partner Francesca Schiavone reached the quarterfinals winning their first round clash against Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova and Amelie Mauresmo of France 6-4, 6-4.

Important results:

At Memphis (Memphis championships): First round: Men: Tommy Haas bt Diego Hartfield 6-3 6-2, Alejandro Falla bt Dudi Sela 6-4, 6-2; Juergen Melzer bt John Isner 6-7(8), 6-3, 7-6(4), Jonas Bjorkman bt Paul Capdeville 6-3, 6-1; Chris Guccione bt Robert Kendrick 7-6(6), 7-6(5); Florent Serra bt Marcos Daniel 6-1, 6-2.Women: Lindsay Davenport bt Sabine Lisicki 7-5, 6-3; Alla Kudryavtseva bt Brenda Schultz-McCarthy 6-3, 5-7, 6-2; Stephanie Dubois bt Vania King 6-2, 2-6, 6-1; Amber Liu bt Yuliana Fedak 6-4, 6-3; Julia Goerges bt Lilia Osterloh 7-6(3), 7-6(3); Olga Govortsova bt Mashona Washington 6-4, 6-2; Melinda Czink bt Olga Poutchkova 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

At Acapulco (Acapulco International championships): First round: Men: Juan Monaco bt Juan Pablo Brzezicki 6-3, 2-6, 6-3; Marcel Granollers bt Bruno Rodriguez 6-3, 6-3; Nicolas Almagro bt Jiri Vanek 6-1, 6-2; Albert Montanes bt Igor Andreev 7-6(4), 6-3.

Women: Yvonne Meusburger bt Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4, 7-6(4); Melissa Torres Sandoval bt Maria Elena Camerin 3-6, 7-5, 7-5; Julia Schruff bt Greta Arn 6-2, 6-7(6), 7-6(5).