Mirza Bagels Then Balks at WTA Kolkata
Posted on September 22, 2005The WTA stop at Kolkata lost its main attraction Wednesday when No. 3 seed Sania Mirza made a stunning exit to little-known Hungarian Melina Czink.
Most shocking was the fashion of the loss, rolling through the first set 6-0 before dropping the next two 6-4, 6-4.
"It was just one of those days. I started really well but she improved a lot in the second set," Mirza said. "I managed to fight back well in the third set from 4-1, and the crowd really lifted me, but it just wasn't meant to be. Some days you win these matches, some days you lose them."
Mirza served up 10 double faults and a series of shaky unforced errors that handed the win to the No. 121-ranked Czink.
"I realized Sania was not as confident on court as she usually is," Czink said. "I told myself that if I lose, I will lose well."
Seeded winners Wednesday were (1) Anastasia Myskina (d. Gallovits 1-and-0), (2) Elena Likhovtseva (d. Fedak), and (7) Karolina Sprem (d. Dominikovic).
Indian fans took some solace on the day when Shika Uberoi upset No. 8-seeded Rika Fujiwara of Japan in straight sets.
"The support here this week has been amazing," said the Florida-based Uberoi. "It's something I've never had before, and I'm really enjoying playing in front of the Indian crowd. I hope I can keep going in this tournament, it's my first quarterfinal."
Other unseeded winners were Russian Galina Voskoboeva (d. Azarenka), Austrian Sybille Bammer (d. Pratt), and Estonian Kaia Kanepi (d. (WC) Ruano Pascual 6-1 in the third).
On tap for Thursday in Kolkata are Sprem vs. Castellvi, Rao vs. Likhovtseva, Camerin vs. Bammer, Voskoboeva vs. Myskina, and An.Serra Zanetti vs. Arvidsson.
Most shocking was the fashion of the loss, rolling through the first set 6-0 before dropping the next two 6-4, 6-4.
"It was just one of those days. I started really well but she improved a lot in the second set," Mirza said. "I managed to fight back well in the third set from 4-1, and the crowd really lifted me, but it just wasn't meant to be. Some days you win these matches, some days you lose them."
Mirza served up 10 double faults and a series of shaky unforced errors that handed the win to the No. 121-ranked Czink.
"I realized Sania was not as confident on court as she usually is," Czink said. "I told myself that if I lose, I will lose well."
Seeded winners Wednesday were (1) Anastasia Myskina (d. Gallovits 1-and-0), (2) Elena Likhovtseva (d. Fedak), and (7) Karolina Sprem (d. Dominikovic).
Indian fans took some solace on the day when Shika Uberoi upset No. 8-seeded Rika Fujiwara of Japan in straight sets.
"The support here this week has been amazing," said the Florida-based Uberoi. "It's something I've never had before, and I'm really enjoying playing in front of the Indian crowd. I hope I can keep going in this tournament, it's my first quarterfinal."
Other unseeded winners were Russian Galina Voskoboeva (d. Azarenka), Austrian Sybille Bammer (d. Pratt), and Estonian Kaia Kanepi (d. (WC) Ruano Pascual 6-1 in the third).
On tap for Thursday in Kolkata are Sprem vs. Castellvi, Rao vs. Likhovtseva, Camerin vs. Bammer, Voskoboeva vs. Myskina, and An.Serra Zanetti vs. Arvidsson.