Sania moves up to No. 59

Sania moves up to No. 59

- TENNIS RANKINGS Clijsters back in top 10; Coria at No. 9

Sania Mirza is closing in on her dream of breaking into the top-50 by the year-end

Nieuwegein: India’s Sania Mirza inched closer to her dream of breaking into the top 50 by the year-end, jumping five places to No. 59, according to WTA Tour’s Entry Point ranking system list released on Monday.

She was helped on her way after beating world No. 58 Eleni Daniilidou of Greece 7-6, 2-6, 6-3 in the first round of Stanford meet last week. She went on to lose to Venus Williams in the second round.

Venus herself lost 5-7, 2-6 to Belgian Kim Clijsters in the final on Sunday, but moved up two spots to No. 8. Clijsters climbed four rungs to 10th spot.

Argentina’s Guillermo Coria was the big mover on the of the ATP Tour Entry Points System. The Argentine, who beat Carlos Moya of Spain 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in the final of the Croatia Open on Sunday, moved up six places to No. 9.

Meanwhile, after winning her third hardcourt title of the year, Clijsters believes she is primed to win her first Grand Slam title at the US Open which begins at the end of the month. “The US Open is on my mind,” Clijsters said. “I’d like to give myself another chance to go for the title again.”

The 22-year-old has reached four Grand Slam finals but has come up short each time.

“I still have few things to work on but it’s the last Grand Slam of the year and the one I always look forward to,” said Clijsters. The former world number one has not been beaten in the United States since she lost the 2003 Flushing Meadows final to fellow Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne.

“Justine did play well but I should have won the first set and it would have been a totally different match,” she said referring to the 5-7, 1-6 defeat. “But you can say 'if' with everything in life. It was frustrating at the time. It can take weeks or longer to get over it if you keep recreating it in your mind. But you learn.”