Inclusion of mixed doubles event in the London Olympics has come as fresh motivation for Sania Mirza to continue playing and the Indian tennis ace feels it would be best opportunity for India to win a medal.
The International Olympic Committee had recently given its nod to the mixed doubles event for the 2012 Summer Games.
"I am excited because we probably have the best chance of getting a medal in mixed doubles. I think that has put a halt to my retirement plans now," Sania said.
The Hyderabadi though parried a question on who she would like to partner out of two legendary Indian players -- Leander Paes or Mahesh Bhupathi.
"I'm very lucky to be (playing) in this generation, to have the opportunity to be around Mahesh and Leander, two of the best doubles players of all times. I am very excited.
http://saniam.blogspot.com
Showing posts with label tennis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tennis. Show all posts
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Interview : Sania mirza for olympics?
Courtesy : ESPN STAR
http://saniam.blogspot.com
Mixed doubles has been added to the 2012 London Olympics tennis programme but Sania Mirza is not thinking about it as yet.
By Bhagya Ayyavoo
After clinching her first Major title at the 2009 Australian Open in mixed doubles, Sania Mirza reveals to MobileESPN that she’ll team up with former doubles No. 1 Virginia Ruano Pascual. The Spaniard has 11 Grand Slams to her name, including 10 in women’s doubles. Excerpts from an exclusive interview.
Bhagya Ayyavoo: How will you remember the 2009 season, professionally as well as personally?
Bhagya Ayyavoo: How will you remember the 2009 season, professionally as well as personally?
Sania Mirza: For Indian tennis, it was an extremely good year. Mahesh and I won the Australian Open mixed doubles title while Leander won two Grand Slams in doubles. Yuki Bhambri won a junior Grand Slam and we also reached the World Group in Davis Cup after several years. Personally, I am happy with the way things have gone for me despite some injury issues. I won my maiden Grand Slam title and finished in the top 100 for the fifth consecutive year.
BA: Which was the most memorable and satisfying match that you played this season?
BA: Which was the most memorable and satisfying match that you played this season?
SM: Beating world No.12, Marion Bartoli in Osaka in singles and winning the final of the Australian Open in mixed were memorable for me.
BA: You bagged the Lexington Challenger title this year, that too coming right after your engagement. How important was that success?
BA: You bagged the Lexington Challenger title this year, that too coming right after your engagement. How important was that success?
SM: Every title is important in building one’s confidence level and since it came right after my engagement, it helped in putting a stop to baseless rumours that claimed I had lost focus on tennis.
BA: With so many teenagers emerging and many other top players coming out of retirements, what will your philosophy be on your seventh year on the tour?
BA: With so many teenagers emerging and many other top players coming out of retirements, what will your philosophy be on your seventh year on the tour?
SM: The philosophy has been the same all through my tennis career - to keep working hard and to go on improving.
BA: Given the gruelling nature of the tour, will you be selective with the tournaments you play in 2010?
BA: Given the gruelling nature of the tour, will you be selective with the tournaments you play in 2010?
SM: Yes, I may need to be selective.
BA: Fitness is obviously key to your game. Do your injuries or your propensity to get injured haunt you at the back of your mind when you play top-10 players?
BA: Fitness is obviously key to your game. Do your injuries or your propensity to get injured haunt you at the back of your mind when you play top-10 players?
SM: Injuries are part of a sportsperson’s life. If you are injured, it will affect your game irrespective of whether you are playing a top-10 player or a top-200 player.
BA: In spite of you not being in the Top 20 you’re always a feared opponent. Does it make it any tougher or easier for you on court?
BA: In spite of you not being in the Top 20 you’re always a feared opponent. Does it make it any tougher or easier for you on court?
SM: I don’t look at it that way. When I enter the court, I always think positively and believe I have a chance to win - whether I am playing a top-20 player or a rank outsider makes no difference.
BA: Some say, one can’t prepare to play a top-20 player until you’re in the Top 30. How true is that in your case?
BA: Some say, one can’t prepare to play a top-20 player until you’re in the Top 30. How true is that in your case?
SM: For me, ranking is just a number and I believe whoever plays well on that particular day will be the winner.
BA: Speaking of Grand Slams, what are the odds for you to repeat the 2005 US Open Round 4 performance?
SM: I am a positive person and I think I can do well in future as well.
BA: You reached your career-best 27 in 2007, and you have always been quoted as a top-30 player. Now, 58 on the WTA singles list, have you set yourself some target for next year?
BA: Speaking of Grand Slams, what are the odds for you to repeat the 2005 US Open Round 4 performance?
SM: I am a positive person and I think I can do well in future as well.
BA: You reached your career-best 27 in 2007, and you have always been quoted as a top-30 player. Now, 58 on the WTA singles list, have you set yourself some target for next year?
SM: My goal is always to work hard and to go on improving. If I can stay injury-free, there is no reason why I cannot better my ranking.
BA: Former India No.1 Nirupama Vaidyanathan made a short comeback at the Pune ITF in November this year. Do you think that will help India, at a time when there’s no one to support you at the top?
BA: Former India No.1 Nirupama Vaidyanathan made a short comeback at the Pune ITF in November this year. Do you think that will help India, at a time when there’s no one to support you at the top?
SM: It’s a great achievement by Niru and I feel very happy for her. However, it is disappointing that no new players seem to have emerged in Indian women’s tennis for a long time now.
BA: What do you enjoy most and least about life on the Tour? And how do you think that will change post engagement?
BA: What do you enjoy most and least about life on the Tour? And how do you think that will change post engagement?
SM: I enjoy playing tennis and that’s what keeps me going. The travel is tiresome.
BA: You had reasonable success in the doubles events with Francesca Schiavone and Chia Jung Chuang this season. What’s the plan for 2010?
BA: You had reasonable success in the doubles events with Francesca Schiavone and Chia Jung Chuang this season. What’s the plan for 2010?
SM: I will be playing with Virginia Ruano Pascual in the Australian Open and if we do well, we’ll continue to play together.
BA: With the 2012 Olympics fast approaching, do you have any London dreams, especially that’s a venue where you will have a lot of support?
BA: With the 2012 Olympics fast approaching, do you have any London dreams, especially that’s a venue where you will have a lot of support?
SM: 2012 is still a long way off.
BA: Now that you’re engaged, are you happy that the link-up stories and other rumours have stopped?
BA: Now that you’re engaged, are you happy that the link-up stories and other rumours have stopped?
SM: Yes. But after a point, the stories had become so ridiculous that they had stopped affecting me.
BA: You certainly have many more years to go, but have you ever thought of life beyond that?
SM: I would like to remain associated with tennis after my retirement and want to give back to the game that has given me so much in life. Maybe, I would get into coaching.
BA: You certainly have many more years to go, but have you ever thought of life beyond that?
SM: I would like to remain associated with tennis after my retirement and want to give back to the game that has given me so much in life. Maybe, I would get into coaching.
http://saniam.blogspot.com
Monday, July 06, 2009
Sania Mirza slips seven places
A second-round loss at the Wimbledon championships cost Sania Mirza seven places in the WTA singles ranking as the Indian slipped to 85 but maintained her 37th position in the doubles list.
A failed bid at Wimbledon also affected Somdev Devvarman's and Prakash Amrittraj's rankings as the former lost three places to be 132 and latter went down by five spots to be at 159.
Somdev had lost his first qualifying round and Prakash faltered in the third and final round.
Mahesh Bhupathi gained a place to be at eighth in the men's doubles ranking courtesy a semifinal appearance at the All England Club and Leander Paes maintained his sixth position despite making a shock first round exit.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Leander Paes and Cara Black defeated Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza
Leander Paes and his partner Cara Black defeated Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza to advance to the mixed doubles quarterfinals of Wimbledon Championships in London.
Top seeded Paes and Zimbabwean Black won 6-2 6-7 (2) 6-3 in the two-hour-and-seven-minute third-round contest, which was the first between the two pairs, on Monday night.
Paes and Black, who won the US Open mixed doubles title last year, were clearly the better pair in a rare match and also took advantage of the unforced errors committed by their opponents.
Thirteenth seeds Bhupathi and Sania committed nine double faults as compared to just one by their opponents though the all-Indian pair sent down more number of aces (6 to 3).
Paes and Black got as many as eight break points in the first set out of which they converted two to win it in 35 minutes.Saturday, June 27, 2009
Wimbledon: Sania Mirza & Chia-Jung Chuang crash lands in second round
The 15th seeded Indo-Taipei pair lost 2-6, 3-6 to the unseeded Russian-Romanian combination.
Sania and Chia had their chances but failed to grab on those. Out of seven break points they got they could convert just one and paid the price.
Sania's singles campaign was cut short in the second round by her friend Sorana Cirstea.
The Indian would now look to put up a better show in the mixed doubles event as she has reached the second round with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wimbledon Tennis Championship:Sania Mirza and Chia-Jung Chuang in seconf round
India's Sania Mirza and Chia-Jung Chuang of Chinese Taipei defeated American Jill Craybas and Carly Gullickson 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of the women's doubles at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships here Thursday.The Indo-Chinese pair, seeded 15th, will next face Russian Alla Kudryavtseva and Romania's Monica Niculescu, who beat Spaniard Lourdes Dominguez Lino and Arantxa Parra Santonja 7-5, 4-6, 6-1.
Sania and Chuang had difficulty in holding their service, and so had their opponents in the first set. Sania and Chuang dropped their serve twice, but broke their opponents thrice.
The American pair saved seven break points before Sania and Chuang broke them in the fourth game.
Craybas and Gullickson came back twice, but each time Sania and Chuang got back the lead and finally closed out the set in the 10th game.
Sania and Chuang were in full control in the second set and wrapped it up with two break of serves.http://saniam.blogspot.com
Wimbledon:Sorana Cirstea ends Sania Mirza's singles campaign
Sania Mirza's singles campaign at the Wimbledon championships ended with a 4-6 4-6 second round loss to Romanian 28th seed Sorana Cirstea here today.
Unforced errors proved costly for the Indian in the one-hour-22-minute contest as she yet again failed to move beyond the second round here.
Sania played mostly from the baseline but struggled to keep her booming strokes within the court.
The inability to win points on serve added to the woes of the unseeded Indian against an opponent ranked as high as 27th in the world.
Sania had the first opportunity to get a break but Cirstea denied her friend the favour.
Sania then committed a double fault in the fifth game to hand the Romanian a break chance.
Sania saved four breakpoints in that game but another double fault undid all the good work
http://saniam.blogspot.com
Unforced errors proved costly for the Indian in the one-hour-22-minute contest as she yet again failed to move beyond the second round here.
Sania played mostly from the baseline but struggled to keep her booming strokes within the court.
The inability to win points on serve added to the woes of the unseeded Indian against an opponent ranked as high as 27th in the world.
Sania had the first opportunity to get a break but Cirstea denied her friend the favour.
Sania then committed a double fault in the fifth game to hand the Romanian a break chance.
Sania saved four breakpoints in that game but another double fault undid all the good work
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Aegon International : Another loss, out of doubles also
Sania Mirza and Chia-Jung Chuang of Chinese Taipei bowed out of the Aegon International tennis with a first-round defeat against fourth-seeded Australians Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs 5-7, 4-6 on Tuesday.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Sania suffering from hip-strain
Sania Mirza conceded her first round singles match of the qualifying event of the $ 600,000 Aegon International in Eastbourne after suffering a hip-strain.
The Indian ace was trailing 4-6 2-3 against Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania on Sunday when she opted out of the contest.
Sania though will play in the doubles event along with Chia-Jung Chuang of Chinese Taipei.
The unseeded Indo-Taipei duo will take on fourth seeded Australian pair of Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs.
Sania had made the singles and doubles semifinals of the Aegon Classic last week and probably continued tennis througout the week combined with long travel from Birmingham to Eastbourne took a toll on her.
In the men's event Leander Paes and his Czech partner Lukas Dlouhy have been given the top billing and they will open their campaign against Polish pair of Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski.
Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles, seeded second, will play their first round match against Stephen Huss of Australia and local Ross Hutchins.
Sania mirza steamrolls to 78 in the latest WTA singles rankings
Riding on her semifinal appearance in the just concluded Aegon Classic, Indian ace Sania Mirza jumped 20 places to reach 78 in the latest WTA singles rankings, released on Monday.
After a prolonged lean patch, the Hyderabadi did exceedingly well at the grass court event where she also made it to the semifinals of the doubles event.
Sania also rose two rungs to be at 35th spot in the doubles ranking.
However, there was no change in the men's doubles rankings where Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi retained their fifth and ninth spots respectively.
Somdev Devvarman, who is struggling these days, also remained unchanged at 132, though he continues to be India's numero uno player.Saturday, June 13, 2009
Sania express halted by Rybarikova in Birmingham Semis
However, a fantastic turnaround from the 20-year old Rybarikova saw her spoil a perfectly good script at the Aegon Classic handing Mirza a doughnut in the second set and overcoming a late rally from the Indian tennis star on the way to clinching a tight third set 6-3.
Mirza had beaten Rybarikova in their only previous meeting amazingly in her only other semi-final appearance of the year on the hard courts at Pattaya 6-4, 5-7, 6-1.
Sania started the match well hammering her first ace to close out the opening game. Sania had a sniff of a chance at 30-30 in Rybarikova's opening service game, but the Slovakian held firm to hang on to her serve.
A second double fault from Sania in the third game gave Rybarikova three break points, and the 20-year old needed just one, breaking the Mirza serve for a 2-1 lead.
The lead didn't last long as Mirza broke back for 2-2, before holding on to her own serve to 15, for a 3-2 lead.
Mirza continued to press home her advantage as she broke the Rybarikova serve again in the 6th game and made it four games in a row holding her serve to love to take a decisive 5-2 lead.
Rybarikova stemmed the run of games against her, finally holding on to serve for the first time in three games, but another strong service game from Sania handed the Indian star the first set 6-3 in just 27 minutes.
Sania continued to dominate the early exchanges in the second set and had two break points in the opening game. However Rybarikova showed the stomach for a fight as she held on to a crucial first service game.
Rybarikova broke the Mirza serve in the following game and played some smart tennis to hold on to her own serve for a three love lead.
Mirza lost the plot completely in the second set, dropping her serve on two further occasions, and only winning 14 of 41 points on her way to losing the set 6-0.
Rybarikova took the momentum into the third set holding on to her serve in a tight opening game before breaking the Mirza serve for the fifth time in the match for a 2-0 lead. Rybarikova had rattled off eight games in a row in what was an absolutely amazing turnaround.
Like a giant awoken from her slumber Sania finally registered herself on the scoreboard for the first time in 40 minutes breaking straight back to love, indicating there was still some life left in this contest.
A crucial fourth game in the context of the match went to deuce, but Mirza held her nerve and her serve.
After Rybarikova slipped in a tight service game, Mirza was in trouble again on her serve, but saved a couple of break points on her way to leveling the set at 3-3.
Rybarikova showed her class serving out a love game to put the pressure straight back on Mirza who was serving behind in the set.
Mirza couldn't handle it as Rybarikova produced another outstanding game to break the Mirza serve and pull ahead 5-3. Rybarikova settled the match on her first match point to end a disappointing afternoon for the Indian.
Earlier in the day Chinese star Na Li booked a place in the final getting the better of former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova for the first time in six attempts, in straight sets 6-4, 6-4.
Sharapova served an exceptional 87% in the opening set, yet dropped her serve on two occasions, while breaking just the once herself.
Both players struggled to hold on to their serves in the second set as they broke each other on 7 occasions out of the 10 games played. Li was able to hold serve on that one extra occasion that mattered to close out the match in a shade under an hour and a half.Friday, June 12, 2009
Sania Mirza hits a shot during her women's quarter-final tennis matc
Sania Mirza hits a shot during her women's quarter-final tennis match against Melinda Czink of Hungary at the Aegon Classic in Birmingham, England, Friday June 12, 2009
Sania mirza in last 4
Sania Mirza's impressive run at the Aegon Classic continued as the Indian ace sealed a semi-final berth by beating 16th seed Hungarian Melinda Czink in straight sets here on Friday.
The unseeded Indian survived some anxious moments in the dying minutes of the match before pulling off a 6-1, 7-6 (4) in the quarter-finals of the USD 220,000 WTA event being played in the build up to the Wimbledon.
Sania will next face winner of the other quarter-final match between 13th seed Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova and unseeded Polish Urszula Radwanska.
Sania went ahead by breaking Melinda at love in the fourth game. The Hungarian double faulted and the Indian pounced on the first chance and held next game to surge to a 4-1 lead.
Melinda struggled with her serve and a flurry of double faults again helped Sania's cause as the Indian capitalised on her rival's error to get one more break in the sixth game and served out the set in the game.
The double fault bug bit the Indian too in the second set as she committed two in the fourth game to hand a 3-1 lead to the Hungarian.
Sania though returned the compliment in the next game when she converted the second breakpoint and held her serve in the next to make it 3-3.
The Hyderabadi broke Melinda in the ninth game to create that little vital gap but squandered a match point in the next game to let Melinda draw parity.
Again she survived few anxious moments in the 12th game before stretching it to a tie-breaker, where she outplayed her rival to make the next round.
With this win Sania also equalled the win-loss record against Melinda 1-1 as she had lost her first match against the Hungarian when the two had clashed in Kolkata in 2005.
The unseeded Indian survived some anxious moments in the dying minutes of the match before pulling off a 6-1, 7-6 (4) in the quarter-finals of the USD 220,000 WTA event being played in the build up to the Wimbledon.
Sania will next face winner of the other quarter-final match between 13th seed Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova and unseeded Polish Urszula Radwanska.
Sania went ahead by breaking Melinda at love in the fourth game. The Hungarian double faulted and the Indian pounced on the first chance and held next game to surge to a 4-1 lead.
Melinda struggled with her serve and a flurry of double faults again helped Sania's cause as the Indian capitalised on her rival's error to get one more break in the sixth game and served out the set in the game.
The double fault bug bit the Indian too in the second set as she committed two in the fourth game to hand a 3-1 lead to the Hungarian.
Sania though returned the compliment in the next game when she converted the second breakpoint and held her serve in the next to make it 3-3.
The Hyderabadi broke Melinda in the ninth game to create that little vital gap but squandered a match point in the next game to let Melinda draw parity.
Again she survived few anxious moments in the 12th game before stretching it to a tie-breaker, where she outplayed her rival to make the next round.
With this win Sania also equalled the win-loss record against Melinda 1-1 as she had lost her first match against the Hungarian when the two had clashed in Kolkata in 2005.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Sania Mirza hits a return shot
Sania Mirza storms to Pre-QF of Aegon Classic
Sania Mirza quelled a late challenge from world number 49 and 11th seed Anne Keothavong to sail into the pre-quarterfinals of the USD 220,000 WTA Aegon Classic here today.
The unseeded Indian beat the British number one 6-1 7-6 (5) in the second round after battling it out for one hour and 27 minutes.
Sania will now run into the winner of the match between local wild card Elena Baltachs and Russian fifth seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for a place in the last-eight stage.
Sania dominated the first set and did not give any chance to Anee, whom the Indian broke thrice to take lead.
However, Anee shrugged off the rustiness in the second set and put up a brave fight to stretch it to a tie-breaker, where Sania held her nerves and converted her second match point.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Aegon Classic: Sania mirza starts on a winning note
Sania Mirza began her grass court campaign with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Tatiana Poutchek at the Aegon Classic on Tuesday, shrugging off a persistent wrist injury that had threatened to end her career.
The 22-year-old from India hit the ball well and moved superbly. She made a rampaging start, breaking serve immediately and then winning a third game that went to eight deuces and which lasted more than a quarter of an hour.
"After what I have been through I am thankful to God that I am back," she said, referring to the multiple problems with the wrist which required surgery and prolonged rehab.
Poutchek, a qualifier from Belarus, grew increasingly frustrated as the match quickly went away from her. She twice broke back in the second set for 1-1 and 2-2 but was unable to ever take the lead.
Mirza has slipped well down in the rankings - she is now ranked No. 98 - but she said she was delighted just to be back playing on one of her favourite surfaces.
"I love playing on grass and that's what I am concentrating on," Mirza said. "I'm not too concerned about my ranking it's never easy coming back from injury, but a couple of runs here and there and the ranking will take care of itself."
Mirza next plays Anne Keothavong, the eleventh-seeded British number one who overwhelmed Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden, 6-2, 6-2.Sania Mirza celebrates first round win
Sania Mirza celebrates winning women's first-round tennis match against Tatiana Poutchek at the Aegon Classic in Birmingham, England, Tuesday June 9, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Another defeat : Sania out of French Open
Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza crashed out of French Open women's singles event after losing in straight sets to Kazakhstan's Galina Voskoboeva in Paris on Tuesday (May 26). Sania went down 4-6 6-7 (3) in a contest lasting a little over an hour and a half.
Sania, who has never gone beyond the second round at Roland Garros, had little match practice going into the clay court event. The Indian's rustiness was quite evident in the six double faults she committed in the very first set. Sania's failure to convert any of the four break points that she earned only added to her problems.
Voskoboeva converted a crucial break in the seventh game to clinch the first set in 46 minutes. Sania put up a slightly better show in the second set and cut down on her double faults but 14 unforced errors pulled her back. After losing her serve twice, Sania broke back to take the set into a tie-breaker.
But Voskoboeva, who had lost to Sania in their only past encounter, dominated the proceedings thereafter and clinched the tie-breaker 7-3. Sania is still in fray in the doubles event where she has teamed up with Taipei's Chia-Jung Chuang. Sania and Chuang, seeded 14th, will open their campaign against Turk-Belgian pair of Ipek Senoglu and Yanina Wickmayer.
Sania, who has not played much on clay this season, missed the French Open last year due to a chronic wrist injury that plagued her much of last year. She made a comeback in January and won the Australian Open mixed doubles title with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi. She went on to reach the final of the Pattaya Open in February but after that her performance graph came spiralling down with a series of early exits.
She recently participated in the Madrid Masters but failed to make it to the singles main draw after a straight loss to France's Aravane Rezai in the first round of the qualifying round. She, however, made it to the doubles semi-final with Chia-Jung Chuang. Sania has never moved beyond the second round of the French Open but then clay has never been her favourite surface.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sania mirza jumps 18 spots
Sania Mirza, who made the women’s doubles semi-finals of last week’s Madrid Open along with Chinese Taipei’s Chia-Jung Chuang, jumped 18 spots to be ranked 42nd in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) doubles rankings released on Monday. However, Sania moved down a place in the singles to be ranked 91st with 692 points.
Somdev Dev Varman moved up two places in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) singles rankings released on Monday to be ranked 138th. Yuki Bhambri too moved up two places to be ranked 662nd. However, Prakash Amritraj and Rohan Bopanna remained static at previous week’s positions, 163rd and 288th respectively. Bopanna moved up one spot in the doubles (65).
Leander Paes remained at No. 5 in the ATP doubles rankings but Mahesh Bhupathi lost one place to be ranked 10th with 5470 points.
Meanwhile, Sania’s father Imran Mirza said on Monday that his daughter has tendinitis. However, she was on course to play the French Open
“Sania has tendinitis in the wrist but will play the French Open,” Imran replied when asked about the 22-year-old’s withdrawal from the $220,000 Strasbourg Open this week.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Sania mirza ousted from Madrid
Sania Mirza’s campaign at the Madrid Open came to an end when she and partner, Chia-Jung Chuang of Chinese Taipei, went down in straight sets to the third seeded Czech-American duo of Kveta Peschke and Lisa Raymond 6-7 (4-7), 4-6 in the semi-finals of the wdoubles event on Friday.
The Indo-Chinsese Taipei pair managed to convert only two of the five break points they got. In the quarter finals on Thursday, they had got the better of the Spanish second seeds Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual. Earlier, Sania had failed to qualify for the singles main.
Roger Federer’s dominance of American Andy Roddick carried over to the clay on Friday when he won 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1 to reach the semi-finals.
Novak Djokovic also advanced to the semi-finals after a 6-4, 6-4 win over Ivan Ljubicic.
World No. 1 Dinara Safina advanced to the last four with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Ukrainian player Alona Bondarenko. France’s Amelie Mauresmo will play Caroline Wozniacki from Denmark in the semi-finals after both players won on Friday.
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