Sania routs top seed Rushmi

Fourteen-year-old Sania Mirza created a major flutter by comprehensively beating top seed Rushmi Chakravarthy in a little less than 40 minutes in the quarter-finals of GVK ITF Women's championship in Hyderabad on Thursday.

Sania, who turns 15 this November, had things her way against her senior opponent, who was down with fever and shoulder injury, to carve out a 6-3, 6-1 win amidst cheers from her local fans.

"I was not well and was unable to move my shoulder. Moreover, Sania was hitting the ball very hard," Rushmi said after the match, adding she would play the doubles despite a bad shoulder.

Sania, who has just entered the big league after a very successful European tour in junior section, said she did not expect to win but gained confidence after she broke Rushmi's serve in sixth game.

Admitting that playing abroad has gained her confidence, Sania said: "Since I played against better players, though I lost most of the games there, it was certainly helpful and vastly improved my approach to the game."

In the other singles matches, Sai Jayalakshmi beat Sheetal Goutham 6-7(4-7), 6-3, 6-3; Sonal Phadke pipped Malaysia's Chin Bee Khoo 6-4, 6-3 and Akjul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan ended the fine run of Geeta Manohar 6-4, 6-3.

Later, pairing with Ankita Bhambri, Sania quelled a spirited challenge from Russian twin sisters Alena and Anastasia Dvornikova 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 in two hours and 24 minutes.

In another doubles match, Rushmi Chakravarthi and Sai Jayalakshmi defeated Ratan Krong and Megha Vakharia 7-5, 6-1.