Dubai: Indian sensation Sania Mirza maintained her unbeaten run while also aiming for a rare double in Dubai, this time taming top seed Julia Goerges 6-1, 7-6 (8) to enter the semi-finals of the 13th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge at the Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa, yesterday.
Watched by her cricketer husband Shoaib Malek, Sania was unstoppable as she ran through the opening set 6-1. However, she seemed to falter a bit in the second as Goerges banked on a couple of breaks to power to a healthy 5-0 lead. But the Indian pulled back admirably to win the next five games to tie the score and then go on to win the tie-breaker 10-8.
Mirza now runs into eighth seeded Russian Evgeniya Rodina in the first semi-final to be played at 1.30 pm today, while fifth seeded Serbian Bojana Jovanoski will take on the fourth seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain in the lower half of the draw.
Sania was later scheduled to team up with Czech girl Vladimira Uhlirova and face the American duo of Lindsay Lee-Waters and Megan Moulton-Levy for a possible place in the doubles final as well.
Though no player has won the singles and doubles in the same year at this tournament, Kyra Nagy holds the distinction of winning the two titles, though on separate occasions — the singles in the inaugural year in 1998 and the doubles with fellow player from Hungary Zsofia Gubaczi in 2003. Seda Noorlander from the Netherlands has also picked up two doubles titles in 2001 and 2002, but with different partners.
In an earlier quarter-final, the wily Medina Garrigues subdued Maryna Zanevska 6-4, 6-3 and then readied herself for another opponent in the form of Jovanovski, who sent second seed Anastasija Sevastova packing 6-3, 5-7, 6-0.
The singles final of the annual event — sponsored by Emirates NBD, OK and Nadali Furniture, Diamond Lease, AMC Advertising, Johnson Diversery, Travco, Ghulami Trading, Crystal Gallery, Desert Springs and Dubai Sports Channel — will be played tomorrow.
Entry to the event is free.
