Tennis News
At $220K PTT Pattaya Women's Open, Thailand

[QF] Sania Mirza (IND,126) bt (6) Tamarine Tanasugarn (THA,41) 75 64
[SF] Sania Mirza (IND,126) vs (7) Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK,51)

First Set
SM started match with serve and easily hold on luv.
1-0 SM converted 2nd bp to take early lead after duece
2-0 TT broke SM's serve on 3rd bp SM saved 2 bps from 15-40
2-1 TT hold @ 30 from 0-30 down
2-2 SM struggling with her first serve percentage again (below 40%) she was down 15-40, then she won next 2 pts to make it duece, TT captured another bp but SM saved that also and then won next 2 pts to won this important game
3-2 SM breaks TT serve on second bp @ 30
4-2 Again TT had 2 bps and SM saved them to duece, but again TT cptured 3rd bp and converted it to break back
4-3 TT hold @ 30
4-4 SM had couple of game points but TT converted 1st bp to take important lead ... Sm's 1st serve percetage hurting her, 43% ... SM need to break back to remain in this first set
4-5 SM was leading 0-30 then had bp @ 30-40 but TT saved 1st bp ... SM again created opportunity and converted to break ... C'mon Sania
5-5 SM serve her 1st ace of the match in this game and hold it @ 30
6-5 Sm had 2 set points @ 15-40, TT saved first but SM converted second to pocket first set after 1 hour.
7-5

I feel Sania was lucky to win this first set after 48% 1st serve percentage against top-50 player ... She need to tighten up her service game but after few matches under her belt she will overcome this problem.

1st set stat
SM - 1st serve percentage 48%, Aces 1, DFs 2, BPs converted 4 of 9
TT - 1st serve percentage 69%, Aces 1, DFs 1, BPs converted 3 of 10
Total points won - SM 47 pts and TT 41 pts

Second Set
SM hold her serve @ 15, good start on her own service game
1-0 TT hold @ 15
1-1 SM hold @ luv with 2 aces
2-1 TT hold @ 30
2-2 SM hold after duece, SM served 2 DFs in this game and saved 1 bp, improved 1st serve percentage for SM 65%
3-2 TT hold after duece
3-3 SM served an ace but TT grabbed another bp @ 30-40 ... SM saved it and hold
4-3 SM responded strongly and broke TT's serve @ 15 ... Now serving for the match.
5-3 SM needed to hold her serve to win this match ... But was broken on luv, had 1 DF .. Again back on serve
5-4 SM was leading 15-30 after TT's DF, but TT won next 2 pts ... SM saved couple of game points and then create her first match-point ... TT saved first MP but couldn't save second MP .. Sania won in 1 hour and 45 minutes.
6-4

Improved 2nd set stat
SM - 1st serve percentage 62%, Aces 3, DFs 3, BPs converted 2 of 3
TT - 1st serve percentage 61%, Aces 0, DFs 2, BPs converted 1 of 3
Total points won - SM 35 pts and TT 30 pts

In semis Sania is facing 7th seed Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova, who upset 2nd seed Danish Caroline Wozniacki in easy straight sets ... Sania needs to work on her 1st serve percetage, in all matches she struggled with her 1st serve in the firset but came back strongly in 2nd.

With this win Sania will re-enter into top 100.