India's
Sania Mirza kept alive her streak of losing in her first or second match in nine events thus far in 2006, Wednesday at Istanbul failing to close out a set lead in falling to Dutchwoman
Michaella Krajicek 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
The No. 5-seeded Mirza was the lone seeded casualty on the day outside of winners (2) Anna-Lena Groenefeld (d. Gagliardi), (4)
Shahar Peer (d. (Q) Radwasnka, bagel in the second), (6)
Catalina Castano (d. (Q) Paszek from a set down), and (7)
Mara Santangelo (d. Cibulkova).
Also into the quarterfinals were Belarus'
Anastasiya Yakimova (d. Shaughnessy 6-0 in the third) and Croat
Karolina Sprem (d. Washington).
Players grabbing an early flight out of Istanbul were given a scare Wednesday when a huge fire engulfed the cargo section of Ataturk International Airport, causing hundreds of panicked people to flee according to television reports.
Thousands were evacuated from nearby terminals as firefighters struggled to contain the blaze.
On court Thursday in Istanbul are Santangelo vs. Peer, Yakimova vs. Krajicek, Sprem vs. Groenefeld, and Myskina vs. Castano.
