By IANS,
Pattaya : India’s Sania Miza faltered at the final hurdle of the $220,000 Pattaya Open, losing in straight sets to World No.5 and top seed Vera Zvonareva 5-7, 1-6 here Sunday.
Unseeded Sania, who was playing her fourth WTA tour final, was broken five times in the match by the Russian who won the match in little over an hour.
The 22-year-old Hyderabadi’s rankings fell to 126 from 27 last year as she was out of the international circuit due to a chronic wrist injury. She bounced back by winning the Australian Open mixed doubles title with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi last month.
The loss had levelled Sania 1-1 with Zvonareva, whom she beat in Japan Open in 2005.
The title win has earned Zvonareva $37,000 and 280 (WTA points) while Sania fetched $19,000 and 200 WTA points.