Sania makes flying start in Tokyo

TOKYO—Sania Mirza began her Japan Open challenge with a crushing 6-1, 6-3 win over Puerto Rico’s Vilmarie Castellvi on Tuesday. The eighth seed looked at home in her first senior match in Japan, taking less than one hour to wrap up victory.
“I’m human,” said Mirza, who won her first WTA Tour title in her home city of Hyderabad in February. “I hit some good shots and I made some errors. No one can play perfect tennis all the time but it’s great the way I played today”.
The 18-year-old, who has achieved cult status in India through her on-court energy and colourful ear-rings and T-shirt, next takes on Japan’s Aiko Nakamura. Nakamura beat last year’s runner-up Mashona Washington 6-7, 6-1, 6-1.
Top seed Vera Zvonareva of Russia overcame Colombia’s Catalina Castano 6-2, 7-6 while fifth seed Ai Sugiyama beat Russian Alina Jidkova of Russia 6-1 7-6. Number four Maria Kirilenko of Russia, who won her first career title in Beijing two weeks ago, beat 15-year-old Japanese Ayumi Morita on her professional debut 6-4, 6-4.
The seeds continued to fall in the men’s draw with American Vince Spadea and Czech pair Ivo Minar and Robin Vik bowing out in the second round. Eighth seed Spadea was beaten 6-4, 7-5 by German Bjoern Phau while number 14 Minar lost 6-4, 6-2 to Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus.
Vik, seeded 15th, was thrashed 6-2, 6-4 by American Kevin Kim. Australian Open champion Marat Safin, Briton Tim Henman and Argentines Gaston Gaudio and David Nalbandian all pulled out of the tournament through injury.—Agencies