Sania storms into second round of Tashkent Open

Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Oct 4 (UNI) Sania Mirza stormed past French Pauline Parmentier 6-3, 6-1 to enter the second round of the the WTA tier IV Tashkent Open here today.

The third seed Indian will now take on Czech Hana Sromova in the second round.

The Hyderabadi player was in her elements from the very start and hardly put a foot wrong as she pocketed the first set with ease.

Sania was facing Parmentier for the first time in her career and the French woman had no answer to the Indian's powerful strokes.

The next set saw Sania decimate Parmentier and the Indian ace dropped just one game before sealing the issue in her favour and enter the next round of the 650,000 dollar tournament.

Sania is seeded behind Maria Elena Camerin of Italy (47) and Elena Vesnina of Russia (51).

The Indian comes here after a quarter-final finish in the Korean Open at Seoul, losing to Spaniard Virginia Ruana Pascual, after upsetting world number nine Martina Hingis in the previous round.

Sania will not compete in the doubles event of the tournament.

UNI XC PM AB DS1330