Top seed Schnyder looking forward to duel with Sania

Cincinnati, Ohio, July 20 (UNI) Top seed Patty Schnyder warned big-hitting Sania Mirza can prove a tough customer and the defending champion Swiss said she was expecting a tough match against the Indian teen in the quarterfinal of the 175,000 dollar Cincinnati Open here.

Schnyder has not been in the best of her form and in fact returned from the brink of disaster in the first round where she had to toil hard to get past gritty American Lilia Osterloh 5-7, 6-2, 7-6(1). She, however, raised her game in the next round and decimated another American, Abigail Spears, 6-1, 6-0 to set up a quarterfinal clash with world number 40 Sania.

''I'm looking forward to playing against Sania Mirza. She is a big hitter and it's gonna be similar to today, because Spears is also powerful. Once they are in position they can hit some really good shots.

''It'll be good if I can put three or four good balls in play, so I can get into the rallies. I'll have to be ready for Mirza because she hits some unbelievable winners,'' Schnyder said in her blog.

The Swiss is leaving no stone unturned and she watched Sania's match with Finland's Emma Laine which the Indian won 6-1.0-6, 6-1.

''I saw a little bit of her match with Emma Laine today and that was important because Laine is a lefty, and I could take some strategies from there. You have to focus on yourself before considering your opponent, but now I feel like my game is all coming together nicely, so now I can think about my opponents more as opposed to just myself,'' Schnyder explained.

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