Sania loses to Zheng in singles final

December 13, 2006, Rediff.com
Photographs: AFP/Getty Images

Sania Mirza

Jie Zheng

India hopes of a three-gold haul in the tennis event at the Asian Games were dashed when Sania Mirza was beaten by China's Jie Zheng in the women's singles final at the Khalifa Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha on Wednesday evening.

The Indian ace, ranked 66th, was outplayed by the world number 33 and went down 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 in an hour and 49 minutes, leaving a packed house deflated.

"It was tough," a beaming Zheng told reporters. "Everyone was supporting Sania, so I had to keep going in the final set."

Sania, who had easily overcome China's Na Li in the semi-finals, found the going tough against the gritty Zheng. Though the Indian had more power in her strokes, Zheng worked out her game well. She slowed down the pace of the match and made the Indian ace do the running. The players traded breaks in the sixth and seventh games, but Zheng cracked Sania's serve in the tenth to take the first set 6-4.