By IANS
London, June 26 (IANS) Sania Mirza squandered chances galore as she went down to Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in the second round of the Wimbledon tennis Championships here at the All England Club.
The-25-year-old Sanchez, ranked 101, survived four match points to win a marathon match lasting two hours, seven minutes, 6-0, 4-6, 9-7 to advance ito the third round.
Sania made a dramatic turn around as she overcame a first-set hammering by Sanchez, who with her superb serve and volley game reduced the 32nd ranked Indian to a hapless onlooker and raced to wrap up the first set in just 21 minutes.
Sania was then looking down the barrel when she lost her serve in the first game of the second set and Sanchez went 2-0 up.
A determined Sania, egged on by a sizable number of Indian supporters, then scripted a turnaround and played with a lot more focus. She won her first game of the match after losing eight on the trot. Suddenly her characteristic forehand carried the old punch and her shots had the power and depth as she broke Sanchez in the sixth and the tenth game to make it a set all.
In a see-saw third set, Sania displayed the confidence by breaking Sanchez in the second game and led 4-2. But the Spaniard followed her strong serve to the net to come up with stunning volleys to break back in the seventh game. However, Sania strengthened her game and should have won the match easily, converting any of her four matchpoints. But the Spaniard showed remarkable resilience in saving them in a decider that lasted for 68 minutes.