Sania gets easy opener in Wimbledon

Sania faces Colombian Catalino Castano in her first match in Wimbledon but the going gets tough after that.

Sania Mirza was handed an easy first round against unseeded Colombian Catalino Castano in next week’s Wimbledon but the going would get tough for the Indian ace thereafter as she could be up against defending champion Venus Williams in as early as the third round.

The 32nd seed Indian, who has had a disappointing build-up to the grass court Grand Slam, crashing out in the second round of the two warm-up events she had played, has an easy opening match as her opponent is ranked more than 100 places below her at 148th in the WTA charts.

World number 33 Sania, placed in the last quarter of the draw, also goes into the match with a 1-0 win-loss advantage against her 28-year-old rival. Sania had beaten Castano in the first round of Pattaya Open last year in their only clash so far.

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If Sania gets past the first hurdle, she would take on the winner of the match between German Martina Muller and Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

But a sterner test awaits the Indian if she equals her best show in the Wimbledon, that of reaching the third round last year, as defending champion and seventh seed American Venus Williams could be waiting for her there.

Venus opens her campaign against unseeded local Naomi Cavaday.

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