By IANS
Melbourne : Sania Mirza began her Australian Open campaign with a comprehensive 6-2, 6-4 win against an error-ridden unseeded Iroda Tulyaganova in the first round Tuesday.
The 21-year-old Indian, seeded 31st, needed an hour and nine minutes to complete the win that takes her into the second round where she meets qualifier Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland.
Timea, who came through three rounds of qualifiers, beat Australian Sophie Ferguson 6-4, 6-3. The 18-year-old Timea, ranked 119 in the world, has not played Sania before.
Though both Sania and wildcard Tulyaganova struggled with their first serves, getting just 50 percent, they scored well when they got it going. The big difference between the two turned out to be the second serve, where Sania was definitely stronger. Also Sania was very strong at the net.
While both won 76 percent of their points on first serve, Sania won 59 percent of her second serve points to her rival’s 29 percent. Sania also converted 12 of her 14 net approaches.
Tulyaganova had a bigger serve, but she also made more mistakes as she double-faulted 11 times and many at crucial stages and also gave away a lot of unforced errors.
Sania broke through four times, twice in both sets, while Iroda managed just one break in the first set, as Sania rushed through the match comfortably.
Among the leading seeds, number two Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia beat Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy 6-3 6-1 and sixth seed Anna Chakvetadze of Russia defeated German Andrea Petkovic after the latter retired with a right knee injury. Ninth seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia beat American Vania King 6-3 7-5.
A minor upset was Russian Ekaterina Makarova knocking out 20th seed Agnes Szavay of Hungary 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Women’s Singles Results:
Alona Bondarenko (UKR) d. Alla Kudryavtseva (RUS) 6-4, 7-6(4); Maria Kirilenko (RUS) d. Meilen Tu (USA) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3; Agnieszka Radwanska (POL) d. Olga Savchuk (UKR) 6-0, 6-1; Sania Mirza (IND) d. Iroda Tulyaganova (UZB) 6-4, 6-2; Akiko Morigami (JPN) d. Michaella Krajicek (NED) 6-2, 6-2; Pauline Parmentier (FRA) d. Martina Müller (GER) 7-5, 6-3; Alizé Cornet (FRA) d. Clarisa Fernández (ARG) 6-3, 6-3; Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) d. Gisela Dulko (ARG) 6-1, 6-1; Yvonne Meusburger (AUT) d. Laura Granville (USA) 6-1, 6-4; Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) d. Olga Govortsova (BLR) 6-1, 6-1; Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) d. Peng Shuai (CHN) 7-5, 4-6, 9-7; Marta Domachowska (POL) d. Mathilde Johansson (FRA) 6-1, 6-1