Sania crashes out of US Open

New York, Sep 2: An erratic Sania Mirza surrendered tamely to Russian Anna Chakvetadze, losing 2-6, 3-6 in the third round to crash out of the US Open here today.

The 26th seeded Indian was subdued throughout the match. Her first serves were erratic and did not cause any problem to the sixth seeded opponent and her famed forehand returns, deserted her.

This was Sania's fourth loss to Chakvetadze in recent times. She had lost to the same opponent at Stanford, Cincinnati and Hobart earlier in the year.

Sania began on an erratic note by failing to hold serve in the second game for the Russian to race 3-0 ahead.

The Hyderabadi though pulled one back by holding her second serve to make it 1-3 and set on course to level the score but failed to convert a break point in the fifth game.

The two held onto their next serves and Chakvetadze took the first set 6-2 in 24 minutes.

Sania continued her erratic self in the second set and failed to hold serve in the second game for the Russian to go 3-0 up.

Her back on the wall, Sania showed flashes of her brilliance in the fourth and fifth games of the second set but that was not enough to rattle the higher-ranked Russian who, however, failed to finish the match after serving at 5-1.

Sania made it 3-5 for a last ditch effort to save the match but the Russian hit two aces to win the ninth game in love and wrap up the match in 53 minutes.

UNI