By IANS
New York : Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza, back on court just two hours after her singles second round win, partnered American Bethania Mattek in the women’s for another straight sets victory at the US Open.
The 16th seeded Indian-American duo won Thursday’s first round encounter 6-2, 6-1 against Severine Bremond of France and Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, and now face Jarmila Gajdosoca of Slovakia and Australian Bryanne Stewart in the second round.
Mirza, seeded 26th in women’s singles, had earlier Thursday made short work of American Laura Granville 6-3, 7-5 to advance to the third round where she faces Russian sixth seed Anna Chakvetadze.
The Indian is also entered in the mixed doubles with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi.
The unseeded Indian pair plays Elena Likhovtseva of Russia and Daniel Nestor of Canada, the seventh seeds, in the first round Friday.
Bhupathi was in action Thursday as well, pairing with Serbian Nenad Zimonjic in the men’s doubles. The sixth seeds were easy 6-3, 7-5 victors over Russians Igor Kunitsyn and Dmitry Tursanov to set up a second meeting with Americans Robert Kendrick and Sam Querrey.
The third Indian in action Thursday, Leander Paes, had mixed luck as he bowed out of the men’s doubles but won his mixed doubles first round encounter.
A former US Open winner with Bhupathi, Paes and his partner Martin Damm of the Czech Republic were seeded fourth but failed get past the opening hurdle, going down 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 4-6 to Frenchmen Nicolas Mahut and Julien Benneteau.
Paes is playing mixed doubles with American Meghann Shaughnessey, and the pair romped to a 7-5, 6-3 first round win over Czech Pavel Vizner and Slovakian Janette Husarova.
In the second round Paes runs into partner Damm, who is playing along side fellow Czech Kveta Peschke.