Mirza Sweeps Past Safina

Fans coming to the Acura Classic on Thursday packed the stands on Court One for a third-round match between India’s Sania Mirza and Dinara Safina of Russia.
 
Safina, the 5’11 Russian, was confounded by the diminutive Indian as Mirza painted the lines with powerful strokes to take a 5-0 lead in the first set. Safina, seeded eighth this week, threw her racquet in frustration after she sent a forehand wide to drop serve for the third time in the set.

 In the sixth game, Safina got one break back when Mirza double faulted on break point.
 
That would be the only game Safina would win that set.  In a very tight final game with Safina serving, Mirza earned a break point in the game when Safina double faulted.

On the next point, Mirza got frustrated as she squandered her break point opportunity by sailing a forehand beyond the baseline. She screamed, “Forehand! I have my own voice in my head telling me I should not be missing forehands.  That is my shot!”
 
Mirza earned a second chance to break with a beautiful inside out forehand down the line. She closed out the set with a blistering service return winner to take the set 6-1 in 33 minutes.

Safina tried to get back in the match as she broke Mirza at love to open the second set. That would be one of the last highlights for the Russian as Mirza broke back and went on to take a 4-1 lead.

Two games later, Safina served to stay in the match at 5-2, but Mirza who has won 10 of her last 12 matches, broke her at love to close out the match in 1 hour and 4 minutes.

Mirza will face top-seed and defending Acura Classic champion Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals.

• Mirza is ranked 31 in the world.
• Mirza improves her 2007 match record to 23-12.
• Mirza has represented India in Fed Cup play.
• Mirza reached the fourth round of the 2005 US Open.
• Mirza is making her third career Acura Classic appearance.
• This was the first career head-to-head meeting between the two players.
• Safina is ranked 14 in the world.
• Safina has represented Russia in Fed Cup play.
• Safina reached the quarterfinals of Roland Garros and US Open in 2006.

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