Sania goes down to qualifier

Sania took long to get her rhythm and within the first 21 minutes, she had lost the first set without managing a single game. The Indian then got her act together as she negotiated the attacking net game of Sanchez through some wonderful lob shots.

Staying in the hunt

The second set, which again started on a dismal note as she dropped her serve, was remarkable for Sania as she displayed ample determination to stay in the hunt through improved tactics. Sania broke Sanchez in the sixth and 10th games to draw parity in the match and the credit went to effective lob shots. Sania created open space in the court in the 10th game, hit her shots hard and shed her over-reliance on the big shots to stretch the match to the decider.

She made a good start to the final set, going up 4-2 by breaking Sanchez in the second and sixth games, but nullified all the good work by handing two breakpoints in the seventh game after missing easy shots.

The next two games went on serve and Sania earned her first match point in the 10th game when a Sanchez forehand sailed long. The Spaniard saved it through a brilliant forehand winner and followed it by another to ward off the threat. Sanchez then saved three more match points in the 13th game. Low on confidence, Sania then handed two breakpoints in the 15th game, which Martinez converted, and then held her serve to complete the win.