Indian teenager Sania Mirza shocked Nadia Petrova on Wednesday, handing the fourth-seeded Russian a straight-set defeat in the 1.3 million-dollar WTA Tour tier one tournament here. Mirza defeated Petrova 6-2, 6-1 to reach the third round.
Mirza, 18, won in just 53 minutes, but said she wasn't surprised by the lopsided result.
Since turning pro in 2003, Mirza has a title under her belt, winning her hometown Hyderabad Open in February. She also beat reigning US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in Dubai in March.
Mirza will face Akiko Morigami of Japan in the third round. After advancing through the qualifying tournament, Mirza beat Tathiana Garbin of Italy 6-2, 6-2 in the first round before facing Petrova.
Petrova, who played with her right forearm heavily strapped, was seeking her fourth consecutive quarter-final appearance. Instead, she left the court in tears.
Though Petrova took a step backward in her preparation for the US Open later this month, she didn't consider it a setback of major proportions.
Injuries and upsets have seen the many of the tournament's marquee names fall by the wayside. In addition to Petrova's loss, third-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva fell to Shuai Peng of China on Tuesday, and defending champion and world number one Lindsay Davenport (strained lower back) Maria Sharapova (sore back) Serena Williams (sprained ankle) and Justine Henin-Hardenne (pulled hamstring) all withdrew with injuries.
In other second-round matches, fifth-seeded Swiss Patty Schnyder beat Kveta Peschke of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-1, French Open finalist and sixth seed Mary Pierce of France steamrolled unseeded German Anna-Lena Groenefeld 6-1, 6-1, and Nathalie Dechy of France beat Argentine Gisela Dulko, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3).
Eighth-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva bowedout Wednesday, falling to American Mashona Washington 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Seventh-seeded Belgian Kim Clijsters, who beat Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in the final at Stanford on Sunday, made short work of Marta Domachowska of Poland, 6-3, 6-1.
COLLATED RESULTS (x denotes seed):
(SECOND ROUND): Patty Schnyder (SUI x5) bt Kveta Peschke (CZE) 6-4, 6-7 (2/7), 6-1; Sesil Karatantcheva (BUL) bt Lisa Raymond (USA) 7-6 (8/6), 6-4; Dinara Safina (RUS) bt Alina Jidkova (RUS) 0-6, 6-1, 6-0; Nathalie Dechy (FRA) bt Gisela Dulko (ARG) 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/3); Mary Pierce (FRA x6) bt Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER) 6-1, 6-1; Francesca Schiavone (ITA x17) bt Anastassia Rodionova (RUS) 6-2, 6-2; Ai Sugiyama (JPN) bt Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 7-5, 4-6, 6-2; Sania Mirza (IND) bt Nadia Petrova (RUS x4) 6-2, 6-1; Elena Likhovtseva (RUS) bt Shahar Peer (ISR) 0-6, 6-2, 6-4; Mashona Washington (USA) bt Vera Zvonareva (RUS x8) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; Kim Clijsters (BEL x7) bt Marta Domachowska (POL) 6-3, 6-1; Jelena Jankovic (SEM) bt Hana Sromova (CZE) 6-3, 6-2.
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