Sania, Paes win in Pacific Life Open tennis

Indian Wells, California, Mar 15 (UNI) Trailing 0-1, Sania Mirza staged a fine comeback to open her campaign with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 win over Olga Savchuk of Ukraine to move into the third round of the 2.1 million dollars Pacific Life Open tennis here.

Seeded 21, Sania was given a bye in the first round.

Another Indian, Leander Paes paired well with Paul Hanley of Australia to outclass Spanish pair of Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round of the doubles competition in the 3.589 million dollars men's Masters Series event at the same venue.

The 21-year-old Hyderabad based Sania, ranked 32nd in the world, lost the opening set but outplayed her 96th ranked rival in the next two to emerge winner.

In the doubles Sania and her American partner Bethanie Mattek, seeded seventh, overpowered Poland's Klaudia Jans and Gabriela Navratilova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-2 in the first round.

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