Sania meets Ukrainian in opener, Bopanna falters in qualifiers

Melbourne, Jan 12 (UNI) In-form Sania Mirza will kick off her campaign with an opening round face off with Ukrainian Olga Savchuk, while her Hopman Cup teammate Rohan Bopanna failed to made it to the main draw of the Australian Open here today.

Davis Cupper Bopanna beat Tobias Clemens of Germany 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the qualifiers but stumbled against higher rated another German Michael Berrer 6-7 (3), 3-6 in the second round in an 82-minute contest.

Meanwhile, according to the singles draw unveiled today, Sania, buoyed after her semifinal finish in the Hobart International, would launch her campaign against the lower ranked Olga.

Provided she tames the unherladed Ukrainian and then manages to get past winner of another firstround match between Eleni Daniilidou of Greece and Japanese Aiko Nakamura, Sania could run into Martina Hingis in the third round.

Sania lost to Hingis in the Sunfeast Open in Kolkata last year but avenged the defeat within a week in Seoul in the quarterfinal of the Hansol Korea Open.

UNI