Indian number one Sania Mirza's Wimbledon challenge fizzled out in the second round on Thursday when she was beaten 6-0 4-6 9-7 by Maria Martinez Sanchez on Thursday. Mirza, who had wrist surgery in April, had been expected to defeat Martinez Sanchez as the Spaniard had never won a match at the grasscourt grand slam until this week.
But with the 32nd seed spraying shots all around the court, it was Martinez Sanchez who made a storming start, racing to a 6-0 3-1 lead on a sun-baked Court 11. Just when it looked as though the 21-year-old Indian would wilt in the heat, she reeled in the errors to steal the second set.
Trading pounding groundstrokes from the baseline, there was little to separate the duo in the decider. They went neck and neck until Martinez Sanchez pounced in the 15th game to earn the decisive break.
Holding her nerve, the 25-year-old Spaniard served out for victory to earn a third round date with defending champion Venus Williams. The defeat ended Mirza's hopes of reaching the third round here for the first time.