NEW YORK: India’s Sania Mirza was all business as she rolled past her opponent, former world No. 11 Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States, 6-3 6-1 on Tuesday to cruise into the second round of the 1.3 million-dollar Acura Classic in San Diego.
A volley of uninhibited powerful groundstrokes helped Mirza to score a Grandstand victory over tour veteran Shaughnessy, to set up a clash on Wednesday with much-fancied Katarina Srebotnik of Slovakia who is ranked 22 in the WTA singles rankings.
“I think tomorrow’s match is going to be interesting because we both like to hit the ball very hard and pretty flat,” Mirza told DNA over the phone from the spectacular Californian tennis resort of La Costa after her commanding first round victory.
Despite the crushing heat and humidity, it looked like the Mirza of old as she mixed long groundstrokes with ambushing net attacks to establish an early lead in the second set from a struggling Shaunesessy who double-faulted four times to practically gift the game to Mirza.
Mirza shrugged off nagging concerns about her waxing and waning performance this year which has seen her WTA rankings slip two notches to 44.
“I have been playing okay all round the year. It is just about getting the wind. I like hardcourts so I have been playing okay these last couple of weeks. It is not about ‘coming back’ — it is about getting those winds.”
“I played pretty well today and I am happy with the way things are going,” added Mirza, who wrapped up Tuesday’s straight match against Shaughnessy in one hour 16 minutes by winning quick points off her first serve despite struggling with wrist and elbow soreness which has dogged her the past year.
“I have little pains here and there which are always going to be there. A year and half ago it was my ankle which was giving me trouble — it is my wrist and elbow right now. I have been working on my serve in the last few months so I am happy to have been able to execute it in today’s match. I think it was the strong point in my game today.”
Mirza, who has her eyes on the US Open starting on August 28, is very aware that fitness holds the key to winning on American hardcourts and is sticking to all those agility drills which her former coach John Farrington had taught her.
“I have been working on my game and a lot of areas I thought I needed to work on. I have been working on my foot speed. I have been trying to get physically very fit,” said Mirza.
“My mental approach is still very aggressive and that is how it is always going to be,” added Mirza.
