Sania upsets Pennetta; Bopanna advances

Hertogenbosch: Sania Mirza shocked fifth seed Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the second round of the Ordina Open here on Monday.

There was good news for India in the men’s section as well, with Rohan Bopanna advancing to the second round of the Wimbledon warm-up event on grass.

He posted a 6-7(8), 7-6(2), 6-4 win over former Roland Garros finalist Martin Verkerk.

Sania broke Pennetta, who is World No. 23, four times in the first set and dropped her serve thrice. In the second set, the Indian raced to a 5-1 lead, with breaks in the second, fourth and sixth games.

Pennetta got a break back in the seventh but the Indian served the match out after that.

The results (First round):

At s’Hertogenbosh (Ordina Open): Men: Richard Gasquet bt Olivier Rochus 6-2, 7-6(3); Ivan Ljubicic bt Robin Haase 6-3, 7-6(5); Guillermo Canas bt Mischa Zverev 5-7, 6-3, 6-3; Juan-Martin Del Potro bt Fabrice Santoro 6-3, 6-1; Marc Gicquel bt Matwe Middelkoop 6-4, 6-1; Marcel Granollers bt Kristof Vliegen 6-0, 1-0 retired; Arnaud Clement bt Benjamin Becker 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; Viktor Troicki bt Denis Gremelmayr 6-3, 7-5; Rohan Bopanna bt Martin Verkerk 6-7(8), 7-6(2), 6-4. Women: Dinara Safina bt Pauline Parmentier 6-4, 6-1; Ashley Harkleroad bt Francesca Schiavone 6-3, 6-4; Sania Mirza bt Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-3; Katarina Srebotnik bt Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-2, 4-6, 6-3; Alona Bondarenko bt Iveta Benesova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; Michaella Krajicek bt Ai Sugiyama 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(7); Sara Errani bt Anne Keothavong 7-6(5), 6-2; Marina Erakovic bt Alexis Gordon 6-1, 6-1.

At Nottingham (Slazenger Open): Marin Cilic bt Paul-Henri Mathieu 1-6, 6-4, 6-3; Ivo Karlovic bt Jonas Bjorkman 6-3, 6-4; Andreas Seppi bt Dudi Sela 3-6, 6-4, 7-5; Julien Benneteau bt Simone Bolelli 6-1, 6-4; Bobby Reynolds bt Nicholas Mahut 7-5, 4-6, 6-4; Sam Querrey bt Alejandro Falla 6-3, 6-4.

At Eastbourne (International Women’s Open): Amélie Mauresmo bt Alizé Cornet 6-1, 4-6, 7-5; Li Na bt Casey Dellacqua 6-2, 6-4; Samantha Stosur bt Katie O’Brien 6-4, 6-3. — Agencies