Dubai: The unseeded Indian star Sania Mirza continued her amazing run, making it to the singles final with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win against eighth seed Evgeniya Rodina on the penultimate day of the 13th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge yesterday.
Mirza, who ousted top seed Julia Goerges in Thursday's quarter-finals 6-0, 7-6, was not at her 100 per cent best on a warm afternoon at the scenic Court No 3 yesterday. But that was just enough for a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 result against the eighth seeded Rodina, the lone Russian standing from the seven figuring in the main draw of the singles.
The Indian, currently ranked 165, will take on fifth seed Bojana Jovanovski, following the Serbian's lop-sided 6-0, 6-7 (5), 6-3 win against Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues in the first semi-final yesterday.
American author
Later, watched by the well-known American author Paul Findley, writer of the best-seller They Dare to Speak Out, Sania Mirza teamed up with Vladimira Uhlirova before going down 4-6, 6-7 (7) against the second-seeded pairing of Julia Goerges and Petra Matric in the doubles final.
Had she won the doubles, Mirza would have been in a position to become the only player in this tournament to have a crack at both the singles and doubles titles in one year.
"I allowed my concentration to slip a bit. Maybe I got a bit tentative after the first set. At the start I was not getting my rhythm, but in the end it's about fighting," Mirza said.
"It's been a satisfying tournament and it really feels good to be winning despite playing at around 60 per cent of what I am capable of," she added.
Medina Garrigues was left to rue her opportunities of letting her younger opponent off the hook on more than one occasion. "I had my chances, but I did not take them," she rued.
Though she lost the first easily, Medina Garrigues — who reached a career high No 16 in May last year — bounced back to offset a break in seventh to draw level 4-4 in the very next game. She then used her superior experience to win the tie-breaker 7-5 to force the deciding third set.
"Both of us had our chances, but she played aggressive and better in the end. But I am okay with this result as it has been a good preparation for me going into the new season," Medina Garrigues said.
Today's singles final between Mirza and Jov-anovski is set for 2pm at the Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa tennis courts, where public entry is free.
(Women's semi-finals) Bojana Jovanovski bt Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-0, 6-7 (5), 6-3; Sania Mirza bt Evgeniya Rodina 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
(Women's doubles final) Julia Goerges/Petra Matric bt Sania Mirza/Vladimira Uhlirova 6-4, 7-6 (7).
Results
