Sania falters, drops out of French Open singles

Paris: An erratic Sania Mirza failed to seize the opportunities and lost 2-6, 4-6 to 12th-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in the women's singles second round at the French Open tennis here Thursday.

Though the 72-ranked Indian lost in straight sets it was an evenly fought match with a string of long rallies. It was a windy morning at Roland Garros and both players had difficulty in serving, more so for Sania whose nine double faults did not help her cause.

Sania hit her groundstrokes fluently on either flank, but in an attempt to go for the winners she could not keep a check on the mounting errors (42), and to add to her misery her double faults came at critical junctures.

Radwanska, the World No.13, herself struggled to find the rhythm but she still managed to keep the ball in play.

Sania, who has never gone beyond the second round in the singles here, could not hold her serve in the first set and the two games she won was by breaking Radwanska in the first of the match and the seventh.

She, however, made a spirited start to the second set, taking a 2-0 lead, but let go of the advantage in the fourth game. The two traded breaks again before Radwnanska held her serve, though not before staving off a break point. The Indian had her chances to nose ahead 5-4, but she could not convert a break point. She yet again dropped her next service game to lose the set and the match in 76 minutes.

Sania is still alive in the women's doubles where she, partnering Russian Elena Vesnina, advanced to the second round Wednesday. In the mixed doubles, her partner is compatriot and doubles expert Rohan Bopanna. — IANS