US Open 2013: Sania Mirza and Jie Zheng reach semis

Sania Mirza

New York, Sep 5 (IANS): Indian tennis player Sania Mirza reached her maiden US Open women’s doubles semifinals with Chinese partner Jie Zheng by winning her last-eight clash in straight sets at the Flushing Meadows here.

Tenth seeds Sania and Jie upset Chinese Taipei-Chinese fourth seeds Su-Wei Hsieh and Shuai Peng 6-4, 7-6(5) in one hour and 50 fifty at the Louis Armstrong Stadium Wednesday to proceed to the last four.

The 10th seeds won two break points to their opponents’ one in the first set which helped them close the set in 45 minutes.

In the one hour and five-minute long second set, both the pairs converted two break points pushing the match into the decider which was won by Sania and Jie.

Though Sania and Jie committed more unforced errors than Hsieh and Peng, they had 12 more winners.

They will take on Australian eighth seeds Ashleigh Barty and Casey Dellacqua in the semis Thursday.

India’s Leander Paes with Czech partner Radek Stepanek will also play Thursday in men’s doubles action as they take on American top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan in the semifinal.