Perhaps it was only destiny that Sania had to lose in Auckland 2nd round. Having been bageled by good friend and top 20 Italian, Francesca Schiavone in the first set that lasted barely 25 mins, Sania was able to put some fight in the second, but eventually the Italian raced ahead, with a 60, 63 win in 1 hr 10 mins.
Ideally, every player wants to play only a few number of matches, and not a whole tournament before going down-under for a warm-up tournament before the Australian Open. Auckland provided that just about enough practice for Sania. She played 3 matches, 2 Singles, one of which was a close 3-setter win and a doubles match, that ended as a straight sets loss, but gave her good level of match play.
Now she moves onto Hobart for Moorilla Hobart International, where she has top 30 players like Anabel Median Garrigues, Bondarenko Sisters, Jie Zheng, Sorana Cirstea, and American teenage phenom Melanie Oudin in the field.
Elsewhere on ATP World Tour in Doha, Rafa made a comprehensive start to his season, winning 63, 63 against Italian Simone Bolelli, for his first official match win of the season. Having won the Abu Dhabi exhibition event, Rafa said that he came in with good confidence and enough match practice to get his season started in Doha.
World No 1, Roger Federer meanwhile showed that he is more than ready to get the season started by beating Christophe Rochus of Belgium 6-1, 6-2. Federer said that he was happy after the match, as he moved well and was able to create good points. Federer now goes on to play Russian Evgeny Korolev, whom he has beaten twice, at US Open and at his own hometown event in Basel, in the fall of 2009 season.
Rafa plays Potito Starace, another Italian opponent in Round 2, who beat Portuguese Fredrico Gil 62 60.
I will follow up with Rafa and Federer results and comments through the remainder of the week and for Sania in Hobart from next week.
