IndiaPost.com - Sania upsets Hingis

LOS ANGELES: Sania Mirza maintained her awesome form to shock former world no.1 Martina Hingis for a second successive time with a three-set victory at the USD 600,000 East West Bank Classic women's tennis event here.

Sania, the first Indian woman to break into top-30 in world rankings, mowed down seventh seeded Hingis 6-2 2-6 6-4 in the second round of the US Open Series hard court event. The victory helped the 20-year-old Hyderabadi girl level her head to head record 2-2 against the multiple Grand Slam champion whom she had beaten the last time they met in Seoul last year.

"You're playing Hingis, you can't expect to roll through. I believed when I stepped on the court that I could win," Sania said after the match. It was Sania's fifth win against a top-20 player in less than a fortnight following her victory against Tatiana Golovin, Patty Schnyder, Shahar Peer and Dinara Safina at Stanford and San Diego.

Sania was however herself upset by France's Virginie Razzano in the nail-biting singles pre-quarterfinals. She was ousted by the 52nd ranked French woman, who pulled off 6-1 7-6 (6) win to reach the quarterfinals.

The Indian star, who reached her career-best 30th rank after defeating at least five top-20 players in the recent weeks, said she was tired and could not give her best in the match. "I have been playing great tennis for the last four weeks.

I am mentally and physically tired right now," Sania said. "Not taking anything away form her, she played very well. There is a lot of depth to women's tennis. She played a great match and I didn't. I was not playing my best and she came out firing. It was not a great match.

I did not even play close to what I usually play," she added. Sania, who clinched a three-setter doubles win alongside her American partner Bethanie Mattek a day before, said the match had drained her off. "Yes, I think the doubles took a lot out of me since it was a very close match. I would have liked to have an off day but..."