Yuki Bhambri planning to play U.S. Open juniors

For all those who thought tennis prodigy Yuki Bhambri has turned his back on the junior circuit, go eat dirt.

Bhambri told The Indian Tennis Blog he's planning to play the US Open in September.

The Australian Open boys champion and reigning world number one surprised fans by skipping Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year.

An ankle injury did trouble Bhambri just before the French Open, but three days short of his 17th birthday, India's next big tennis hope is hitting balls at a Futures event in sweltering New Delhi instead of cheering compatriots Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza at the All England Club.

There's a method to this madness. Bhambri won back-to-back Futures events in April, helping him reach a career-best men's singles ranking of 650 in June. A win at the F5 event this week would help him zoom up the senior rankings even quicker.

After all, he's hoping to break into the Top-500 by the end of the year.

But what of his ankle injury?

"I think I have fully recovered because the ankle is not bothering me at all," Bhambri told us.

After back-to-back hardcourt Futures in India, the young tennis sensation said he might be headed to Syria to play in a Futures event there.

Sania Mirza to miss US Open

Sania Mirza's wrist injury has forced her to miss the 2008 US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year, which starts next week.

"I've always done well at the US Open and it is very disappointing for me to miss a Grand Slam on my favourite surface due to my wrist injury," India's top woman player said in a statement.

Mirza, 21, has struggled to come to terms with her game since undergoing wrist surgery and has been advised complete rest for an initial period of 3 weeks.

The injury also forced her to retire in her first round match at the Beijing Olympics. Mirza first injured her wrist during the Indian Wells tournament in March, necessitating a surgery in Miami the following month.

Mirza dropped out of the Top 40 in July and is currently ranked 63 in the world.

May take Sania Mirza weeks to get back killer forehand

When Sania Mirza embarks on a quest for Olympic glory in August, even the prayers of a billion Indians may not be enough to see her through.

The golden girl of Indian tennis hasn't quite regained the form that took her to number 27 in the WTA rankings in August 2007. But it's not just a question of finding her rhythm.

After wrist surgery in April this year, Sania only returned to the Tour a fortnight before Wimbledon. And her forehand, considered one of the best in the game, is no longer the formidable weapon it used to be.

That's something even Sania's father and mentor Imran Mirza admits.

"I think Sania is still not playing at the level she was at before the injury. Basically, she still does not have the awesome power and control in her forehand that made her a top 30 player," Mirza told the Indian Tennis Blog on Sunday.

The vagaries of the ranking points system have ensured that Sania stays in the Top 40(Update: She fell 15 spots to number 50 on Monday) but the truth is the 21-year-old hasn't won consecutive matches in the five events she played since her comeback.

Imran Mirza urges patience.

"I think it may take a few more weeks or even months before she gets that venom back in her forehand although it is gradually improving."

"However, her fitness level and other aspects of the game have improved considerably although these are not good enough without her world-class forehand to win consistently at the highest level."

That's certainly not good news for those hoping for a medal-winning run from Sania at the Beijing Olympics. But there's hope yet in the women's doubles event, where she partners Sunitha Rao.

Currently in Stockholm for the $145,000 Nordea Nordic Light Open, Sania will return to India for a few days before proceeding to Beijing. After the Olympics, she'll rush to the United States for the $600,000 Pilot Pen event in New Haven, a week before the U.S. Open kicks off on August 25.

But Mirza senior knows it may be some time before Sania can live up to fans' expectations and start winning more matches.

"We need to be patient with her game as of now."

Sania scripts thrilling doubles upset at US Open

Sania Mirza and her American partner Bethanie Mattek pulled off an upset win over second seeds Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur to reach the quarter-finals of the women's doubles event at the US Open.

The number 16 seeds stared defeat in the face before battling past their US-Aussie opponents 2-6, 7-5, 7-5 in a little more than two hours.

Amazingly, Mirza and Mattek won a total of 105 points in the match, three less than their opponents. They also had a lower first service percentage and more unforced errors. But they won the crucial points and that's what mattered in the end.

Mirza had also partnered Mattek to win the Cincinnati doubles title in July.

Leander Paes and his American partner Meghann Shaughnessy followed Mirza and Mattek onto the Grandstand court and eased past home crowd favourites Justin Gimelstob and Ashley Harkleroad 6-3 6-4 in an hour and 15 minutes to reach the mixed doubles semifinals.

Indian fans hoping for a hat-trick of wins were disappointed when Mirza returned to the same court with Mahesh Bhupathi. Perhaps Mirza was tired but the Belarussian pair of Victoria Azarenka and Max Mirnyi truly deserved their 6-4, 6-1 victory in exactly one hour, which saw them advance to the mixed doubles semifinals.

Meanwhile, India's campaign in the junior singles came to an end in the first round when 17-year-old Poojashree Venkatesh lost to Korea's Sung-Hee Han in straight sets 6-3, 6-2.

Venkatesh is partnering Alexa Guarachi of the US in the girls' doubles event.

Earlier, promising youngster Yuki Bhambri missed out on a main draw berth in the boys' singles event. Bhambri, seeded 12 in qualifying, fell 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 to unseeded Bradley Klahn of the US in the final round. The 15-year-old Indian prodigy had beaten Chase Buchanan 6-4, 6-2 in his first match.

Sania Mirza loses to Anna Chakvetadze

Russian star Anna Chakvetadze dashed several Indian hearts at the US Open by thrashing good friend Sania Mirza 6-2, 6-3 in less than an hour, aided by a slew of errors from the 20-year-old Hyderabadi.

The third round match never quite reached the expectations of vociferous Indian supporters watching from the sidelines on Court 11, witness to their only hope succumb tamely to the Russian's powerplay.

Chakvetadze had begun well, clinically taking her first service game, before the Indian even had time to settle down in the court, a far cry from the Grandstand and Louis Armstrong stadium of her first two matches. Mirza was dressed in red-and-white, the same ensemble she had worn earlier this week. Was it going to be third time lucky?

Apparently not.

Serving in the second game, Mirza let loose a double fault - her 13th of the tournament. A couple of unforced errors later, Chakvetadze was up a break and serving at 2-0.

A double fault of her own put pressure on the Russian, who was soon 0-30 down in the third game. Mirza, desperate to get back into the game, tried her best but couldn't match Chakvetadze, who whipped some great crosscourt shots to hold her serve.

Now down 0-3, Mirza seemed determined to fight and she won four points on the trot, ending the game with an on-the-line crosscourt shot. Holding her serve seemed to boost her confidence and as Chakvetadze began the fifth game with consecutive double faults, it seemed the Indian was about to get back into the match.

Mirza, cheered on by her Indian supporters, found herself having a rare breakpoint but an unforced error on the next point erased the advantage. The first deuce of the match was followed quickly by two points that went Chakvetadze's way.

The Russian had taken a 4-1 lead in just 13 minutes.

Though struggling with her serve in the sixth game, Mirza found her rhythm again - winning the game when Chakvetadze came to the net and the Indian sent the ball sailing past her just short of the baseline.

Serving at 4-2, Chakvetadze let loose an ace and then let Mirza help her out. The Russian prolonged the rallies waiting and watching till the Indian made a mistake. On gamepoint, Mirza sent a backhand wide.

The Indian, looking more and more dejected as the match progressed, now served to stay in the set. A doublefault, Mirza's second of the match, didn't help matters. The Russian struck a winner next, her eighth of the match, before Mirza committed yet another double fault - setting up three setpoints for Chakvetadze.

Mirza's body language suggested that she was going to lose the set but unforced errors had erased two of Chakvetadze's breakpoints. Could the Indian possibly hold her serve?

But it wasn't to be.

A shot sent long by Mirza gave Chakvetadze the game, the Russian taking the set 6-2 in convincing fashion - in just 24 minutes.

THE SECOND SET

Mirza looked tired. Was doubles taking a toll on her? She's still surviving in the women's and mixed doubles and has been playing non-stop for five days. Whatever the reason, Chakvetadze's power play wasn't helping Mirza.

A couple of Mirza shots ended up in the net, helping Chakvetadze wrap up her first service game of the second set.

Down 0-1 it seemed the story of the first set was being repeated. The Russian didn't fail with her groundstrokes even as Mirza served yet another double fault. The break, the third time Chakvetadze had broken Mirza in the match, seemed to spell doom for the Indian.

The Russian was serving well. Leading 2-0, the world number 6 seemed to have got into the groove as she quickly went 40-0 up. Mirza's returns ended too long or too short, allowing Chakvetadze to put away winners at will.

Now serving at 0-3, Mirza tried adopting the Russian's strategy. Working the court well and coming to the net, she won the game with a down-the-line shot.

But two unforced errors by Mirza set the tone for the fifth game, helping Chakvetadze hold serve to lead 4-1.

Mirza's morale sapped. The first Indian to be seeded at the US Open was being decimated by her friend. Will they even talk in the dressing rooms later today?

Serving in the sixth game, Mirza was soon 0-40 down, handing the Russian three breakpoints to lead 5-1. A top 10 player could have saved the situation but not Mirza. She reacted with a doublefault, her fifth of the match.

The end looked near as Chakvetadze served for the match - and promptly served consecutive doublefaults. Could Mirza take advantage of the lapse in concentration? More errors by the Russian set up two breakpoints for Mirza, and she capitalised on the second.

With Mirza 2-5 down and serving to stay in the match, the two 20-year-olds engaged in a battle of crosscourt shots. An error by Mirza set up matchpoint for Chakvetadze. But the Russian squandered it with an unforced error. The second deuce of the match was soon followed by Mirza taking advantage of a Chakvetadze error, and for the first time winning consecutive games.

The Russian was looking vulnerable now and the Indians in the crowd imagined there could be a turnaround for their young star. But Chakvetadze was in no mood to gift Mirza a chance to come back.

Serving at 5-3, Chakvetadze whipped out an ace. Then a Mirza return found its way into the net. The Russian answered with an ace, her third of the match. 40-0 up and with three more matchpoints, the blonde from Moscow could afford to relax. But she didn't and took the match on the next point, blazing a winner metres away from Mirza.

It was Mirza's fourth straight loss to Chakvetadze.

The 6-2, 6-3 scoreline was the story of the match - too much power for the Russian and too many unforced errors for Mirza. The one-sided match, except for the hiccup in the second set, had been won in just 53 minutes. Leaving Mirza's fourth round showing at the 2005 US Open a record to be broken at some other Grand Slam.

Chakvetadze finished with 19 winners compared to Mirza's nine. Unforced errors (18) and a low first service percentage (48) had led to the Indian's downfall. Mirza had won just one of three breakpoints, serving five double faults and zero aces.

The only silver lining - she had won all six of her points at the net. Good doubles tactic perhaps? Mirza won't be leaving New York for now - she still has her doubles matches to look forward to - but the 2007 US Open has more or less ended for the world number 27.

ALSO READ
The Mirza-Chakvetadze match background
Mirza beats Laura Granville in Round 2
Mirza beats Kaia Kanepi in Round 1
Paes out but Indians going strong in doubles

Did Sania Mirza play her best at the US Open?
	Yes, she was beaten by a superior player
	Yes, today was just not her day
	No, she wasted too many opportunities
	No, she didn't deserve to be in the third round
	No, but she'll do better next year
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The Sania Mirza-Anna Chakvetadze background

A win over buddy Anna Chakvetadze will catapult Sania Mirza into the fourth round - matching her best showing at the US Open two years ago.

But it won't be easy beating the world number six. Chakvetadze sizzled during the American hardcourt season and thrashed the Indian on her way to the Cincinnati and Stanford titles. Head to head, the record stands 3-0 in the Russian's favour.

Mirza's wins over less talented players in the first two rounds were strewn with unforced errors - something Chakvetadze will be all too eager to take advantage of.

Plus with an exceptional serve, superior groundstrokes and a reliable backhand, the Russian has what it takes to counter Mirza's one strength - the forehand.

UPDATE: CHAKVETADZE BEATS MIRZA 6-2, 6-3

Chakvetadze has always done well at New York, having reached the fourth round last year and the third round in 2004 and 2005. This year, her best on the tour so far, the 20-year-old blonde from Moscow will be hoping to make it all the way to the final four.

Does Mirza, the first Indian woman to be seeded at a Grand Slam, have what it takes to beat her former junior doubles partner? Or should fans hope for a miracle.

Here's tennis expert Matt Cronin's prediction for today's match -

"Mirza cannot afford to play long points with Chakvetadze, who is excellent at pulling her out of position and either forcing an error or smoking a winner. She has to go straight at the Russian's body with her hammer forehand in order to get Chakvetadze to stand still once in while, because the Russian is deadly on the run. Most importantly, she has to serve very well, because while Mirza has improved her movement, backhand and on court composure, her serve is still a weakness. If she zones on her forehand, Mirza could pull an upset here, but the intelligent Chakvetadze will find a way around her and triumph in three sets."

Well, if Indian hopes are dashed in singles, there might be some hope in the doubles events.

DOUBLE DELIGHT IN DOUBLES

Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi trounced seventh seeds Elena Likhovtseva and Daniel Nestor in straight sets 6-0, 6-2 to advance to the second round of the mixed doubles. Next up for the Indian duo are American Bob Bryan and France's Tatiana Golovin.

Also fighting for a place in the quarterfinals are Leander Paes and American Meghann Shaughnessy. They are up against fifth seeded Czech duo Martin Damm (Paes' regular men's doubles partner) and Kveta Peschke.

In the women's doubles, Mirza and American Bethanie Mattek, seeded 16, have reached the third round after rushing past Jarmila Gajdosova and Bryanne Stewart 6-2, 6-2.

And in the men's doubles, sixth seeds Mahesh Bhupathi and his Serbian partner Nenad Zimonjic wll have the tough task of facing home crowd favourites Sam Querrey and Robert Kendrick for a place in the third round.

Paes crashes out of US Open men's doubles

Defending champions and fourth seeds Leander Paes and Martin Damm crashed out in the opening round of the men's doubles at the US Open.

The Indo-Czech duo were humbled 7-6(7-1),3-6,4-6 by unseeded Frenchmen Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut.

Compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi had better luck. He and Serbia's Nenad Zimonjic, seeded sixth here, got past Russia's Igor Kunitsyn and Dmitry Tursunov in straight sets 6-3,7-5.

Bhupathi and Zimonjic, fresh from their victory at the Pilot Pen tournament in New Haven, will now run into unseeded Americans Robert Kendrick and Sam Querrey.

UPDATE: CHAKVETADZE BEATS MIRZA 6-2, 6-3

Just hours after her second round win over Laura Granville, Sania Mirza was back on court to help American Bethanie Mattek defeat Serbia's Jelena Jankovic and France's Severine Bremond in the first round of the women's doubles. The number 16 seeds prevailed 6-2,6-2, making it a good day for the 20-year-old Indian.

Paes still had reason to stay back in New York. In an evening match, he partnered American Meghann Shaughnessy to beat Pavel Vizner of the Czech Republic and Janette Husarova of Slovakia in their mixed doubles opener. The unseeded pair won 7-5, 6-3, earning them a meeting with fifth seeded Czech duo Martin Damm and Kveta Peschke in the second round.

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Mirza beats Granville in second round
Leander Paes to pair up with Jamie Murray

Who should Paes pair up with?
	Martin Damm
	Mahesh Bhupathi
	Jamie Murray
	David Rikl
	Rohan Bopanna
	Nenad Zimonjic
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Sania Mirza enters third round at US Open

Sania Mirza has set a date with Russian Anna Chakvetadze at the US Open after battling past American Laura Granville 6-3, 7-5 in an error-strewn second round match in which both players struggled to hold their serve.

Mirza, the first Indian woman to be seeded at the US Open, had been tipped to win easily against Granville, at 26 the proverbial underachiever. But the 20-year-old Indian was her own worst enemy - making 33 unforced errors in the one hour 22 minute match.

Mirza, wearing the same red-and-white dress she wore in the first round against Estonian Kaia Kanepi, started by losing her first service game on the Louis Armstrong court.

But she broke right back and then held serve in the third game of the first set - winning a slugfest of a rally and finishing the game with an ace.

Mirza's game came apart in the fourth game and a couple of unforced errors helped Granville hold her serve and even the set at two games apiece.

Both players were serving well but there was no stopping the unforced errors. In the next game, Mirza saved two breakpoints to lead 3-2.

The following three games went the whole hog with neither player able to hold serve. Granville, who doesn't have the same pace as Mirza, compensated by giving the Hyderabadi lass more leeway to commit a slew of forehand errors.

Leading 5-3, Mirza broke the trend in the ninth game, holding her serve to take the first set after 36 minutes of play.

The second set began somewhat like the first with both players breaking each other's service games.

At 1-1, the 26th-seeded Mirza stepped up the pace by reeling off three games in a row, an inopportune double-fault in the fifth game by Granville helping her cause.

Now leading 4-1, Mirza lost concentration on her serve and Granville, irritated by her double-fault in the previous game, began to take more chances around the court. The ploy helped and the world no. 60 broke Mirza's serve for the fourth time in the match.

A resurgent Granville then reeled off some good forehand winners to hold serve and inch closer to Mirza at 4-3.

Two games later at 5-4, Mirza was serving for the match and had two matchpoints at 40-15. Another lapse of concentration by the Indian cost her dearly as she squandered both. Granville won on her second breakpoint to even the set at 5-all.

For a player leading 4-1 and then 5-4, Mirza was rattled but not enough to throw the match away. Granville didn't do herself any favours by serving a double-fault in a crucial service game. Mirza broke to lead 6-5 and get another chance to serve out the match.

This time, she kept her nerves in check, winning a hotly contested rally to set up her third matchpoint and then let out a whoop of excitement as a Granville error sent her into the third round.

Mirza finished with 33 winners compared to 18 by the Chicago-based Granville. Her 6 aces helped her at crucial moments against Granville who served five double-faults to dig her own grave.

UPDATE: CHAKVETADZE BEATS MIRZA 6-2, 6-3

Next up for Mirza is her friend Chakvetadze, the world number six and one of the hottest players on the WTA Tour this year. The Russian beat Australian Nicole Pratt 6-3, 6-4 in her second round match.

Mirza drastically needs to reduce the number of unforced errors, which Chakvetadze will be all too eager to take advantage of.

Chakvetadze has always done well at New York, having reached the fourth round last year and the third round in 2004 and 2005. This year, her best on the tour so far, the blonde from Moscow will be hoping to make it all the way to the final four.

Mirza and Chakvetadze have met thrice this year with the Russian winning all three of their battles in 2007. The closest Mirza came to beating Chakvetadze was in the Cincinnati semis where the Russian prevailed 6-2, 5-7, 6-3. That was also the only time the Indian managed to take a set off her Russian nemesis.

Will their US Open match-up throw up any surprises? Well, Mirza's fans will be hoping she has what it takes to move to the fourth round.

ALSO READ
Mirza beats Kanepi in US Open first round
Mirza's path to the quarter-finals: Can she make it?

Sania Mirza to face Laura Granville in US Open second round

Sania Mirza made it safely to the second round of the 2007 US Open. Estonian Kaia Kanepi might have been easy fodder but the 20-year-old Indian shouldn't relax yet.

Looming up before her is American Laura Granville. The 26-year-old from Chicago is a solid and experienced player, with a knack for surprising those ranked above her.

Mirza, seeded 26th at Flushing Meadows, has never played Granville before, which means both players will be eager to size each other up when they meet on Thursday.

Granville will be playing in her ninth US Open, having reached the third round in 2005 - the same year Mirza made it to the last 16.

Four years ago, the American reached her career-best ranking of 28, just one rung lower than where Mirza is right now.

In July, Granville beat Martina Hingis and Sybille Bammer in straight sets to make the fourth round at Wimbledon, a feat she had first achieved as a qualifier in 2002.

A run like that should have been her breakthrough moment for 2007.

Surprisingly, Granville hadn't won a match since. Till she beat France's Olivia Sanchez 6-2, 6-2 in the first round of the US Open.

The world no. 60 is certainly out to prove herself and Sania Mirza should consider her armed and extremely dangerous.

UPDATE: CHAKVETADZE BEATS MIRZA 6-2, 6-3

ALSO READ
Mirza beats Kanepi in US Open first round
Mirza's path to the quarter-finals: Can she make it?

Sania Mirza survives scare at US Open

Sania Mirza, the first Indian woman to be seeded at the US Open, made good use of her dreaded forehand to see off Estonia's Kaia Kanepi in a first round match that gave her fans several anxious moments.

The 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1 victory at the Grandstand court that sent Mirza into the second round wasn't the easy romp the 20-year-old Hyderabadi had expected.

Mirza, dressed in red and white, had begun well, oozing confidence as she broke Kanepi in the third game of the first set.

The no. 26 seed was serving well and Kanepi seemed to wilt away as her returns increasingly found their way into the net.

The two hadn't met before and the Estonian's game, suited more for claycourts, had no answers for Mirza's forehand. Another break in the sixth game found Mirza serving for the set at 5-2.

Kanepi saved a setpoint and thanks to an inopportune double-fault by Mirza had a breakpoint. And then another. But Mirza recovered to win the set in less than 30 minutes.

Mirza hadn't lost a first round match in nine straight hardcourt tournaments and it seemed the record would be safely extended.

UPDATE: CHAKVETADZE BEATS MIRZA 6-2, 6-3

Unforced errors continued to pile up for Kanepi as she handed Mirza a break in the third game of the second set.

But the sixth game marked a turning point in the match as Kanepi, adjusting to Mirza's game, produced an array of shots to hold her serve. And then promptly broke Mirza in the next game.

With Sania's game unravelling and the momentum swinging Kanepi's way, the unseeded Estonian held her serve to go 4-3 up. And then 5-4.

The experienced Indian, who reached the Last 16 here two years ago, showed no sign of nerves as she served to save the set. An ace and a well-timed topspin lob was followed by an unlucky double-fault. Even under pressure - Kanepi was two points from the set - Mirza stuck to her guns and produced a textbook forehand shot and then an ace to even out the second set at five games apiece.

Kanepi, who seemed to be giving Mirza a taste of her own medicine with some smoking forehands, took control of the tie-breaker two games later, quickly going 6-3 up. The Indian saved the first setpoint with a killer serve. An error cost the Estonian the second. But an unforced error on Kanepi's serve by Mirza sent the match into the deciding set.

A dejected Mirza stepped up the pressure, displaying some good foot movement to win the first game of the third set.

Th momentum had swung Mirza's way again. She won the next 3 games as well - with Kanepi double-faulting on breakpoint to leave Mirza serving at 4-0.

Mirza made full use of her forehand - the best weapon in her arsenal. Her successful stint playing doubles also seemed to help, making her react faster at the net and adding to her confidence as the match progressed.

The fifth game was decided by errors. Mirza double-faulted thrice but still won - thanks to unforced mistakes by the 22-year-old Estonian.

Kanepi came up with an ace to get on the scoreboard in the next game. But Mirza wasn't about to let her come back into the match. She quickly set up two matchpoints on her serve and whooped as a Kanepi return hit the net. It had taken Mirza an hour and 40 minutes to make it safely to the second round.

She now faces American Laura Granville, an experienced player with a solid game but not a forehand like Mirza. But the Indian can't afford to lose concentration like she did in her hiccup against Kanepi.

Mirza finished with 28 winners and an astonishing 32 unforced errors. Her 8 aces were more than compensated for by an equal number of double-faults. In the end, experience counted and Kanepi was sent packing. But Mirza's next opponent might just capitalise on these mistakes so the Indian should watch out.

ALSO READ
Mirza's opponents in the coming rounds

Watch out for Sania Mirza at US Open

That's tennis writer Peter Bodo's prediction on ESPN - Sania Mirza is on his list of players likely to make a splash at the 2007 US Open.

With action starting today at Flushing Meadows, Bodo points out that "Mirza has shown signs of maturity that her game has sorely lacked, and she likes this surface."

The number 26 seed also carries the heavy burden of being India's only representative in the singles events.

UPDATE: CHAKVETADZE BEATS MIRZA 6-2, 6-3

She's in great form though and currently enjoys her highest ever career ranking - 27 (in singles) and 20 (in doubles).

Mirza begins her US Open campaign on Tuesday with a 4-2 win-loss record at the Grand Slam, already looking ahead to a possible third round clash with the in-form Russian Anna Chakvetadze.

Will Mirza repeat her dream run of 2005, when she lost in the fourth round to top seed Maria Sharapova?

Well, her doubles victory at the Pilot Pen tournament over the weekend should keep her spirits up. After all, Mirza and Italy's Mara Santangelo beat the best women's pair of 2007 - Cara Black and Liezel Huber - in straight sets 6-1, 6-2.

At the US Open, Mirza will be partnering American Bethanie Mattek in the women's doubles. The number 16 seeds face the unseeded pair of Jelena Jankovic and Severine Bremond in the first round. But their real test lies in a possible encounter with second seeds Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur in the third round. Mirza and Israel's Shahar Peer had lost to the duo at the same stage at Wimbledon.

In the mixed doubles, Mirza is partnering doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi, who's won the event twice before - with Ai Sugiyama in 1999 and Daniela Hantuchova in 2005.

India can also hope for good results from Bhupathi and Leander Paes in the men's doubles. Both have won it in the past though with different partners - Bhupathi with Max Mirnyi in 2002 and Paes with Martin Damm last year.

This year, Bhupathi and Serbia's Nenad Zimonjic, fresh from their victory at the Pilot Pen tournament, are seeded sixth and could run into defending champions and fourth seeds Paes and Damm in the quarter-finals.

Both Bhupathi and Paes haven't won a Grand Slam title this year and would be eager to finish the year on a high.

However, Indian fans would be disappointed that Rohan Bopanna won't be playing in the men's doubles. Bopanna, who along with Pakistan's Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi notched up four straight ATP doubles titles this season, could not qualify for a place in the doubles draw. The 27-year-old player is now ranked 87 in doubles, having jumped 40 places on the ATP list in the last two months.

Earlier this week, Bopanna and Prakash Amritraj crashed out in the qualifying rounds for the men's singles while Sunitha Rao came agonisingly close to joining Mirza in the women's singles draw.

Sunitha Rao's US Open dream shattered

Seven years. Seven attempts. Seven failures. Sunitha Rao had been on the verge of making it to the 2007 US Open singles event, but a 6-4, 6-4 loss to 78th-ranked Zi Yan of China put paid to her dream.

Rao has been playing in the qualifiers at Flushing Meadows each year since 2001, but had never gone past the second round. This year, the US-based Indian had come closest to her goal - just one match away from the main draw.

The 21-year-old's third round loss was not unexpected given the wide gap that separated the world number 219 from the second-seeded Zi in terms of WTA ranking. But Rao's wins over players ranked above her in the first two rounds of qualifying had raised expectations of the Florida-based player joining India's Sania Mirza in the singles main draw.

Ironically, the Chinese player had also beaten Rao in the first round of qualifying at the 2003 edition of the Grand Slam. Zi now leads their head-to-head tally 3-1 with Rao having snatched a lone win at Strasbourg in 2005.

Earlier this week, Rao had defeated 125th-ranked Varvara Lepchenko of Uzbekistan and 218th-ranked Romanian Monica Niculescu in the US Open qualifiers.

With Neha Uberoi (playing for the US) also succumbing in the first round of qualifying, Sania Mirza remains the only Indian-origin player in the singles main draw of the year's final Grand Slam.

No singles for Indian men at US Open

With both Prakash Amritraj and Rohan Bopanna bowing out in the qualifiers, India will not be represented in the men's singles main draw at US Open 2007.

Amritraj, ranked 270th in the world, lost in the first round of the qualifiers to 17-year-old Kei Nishikori of Japan. Amritraj won the first set before Nishikori, ranked just one place above him on the ATP list, rolled out a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 win.

In all fairness, Amritraj was hampered by a torn ligament on his left wrist which restricted him to a one-handed backhand. The 23-year-old son of former tennis star Vijay Amritraj is scheduled to have surgery in Los Angeles after he returns from New York.

In 2002, just before he turned pro, Prakash made it to the main draw of the US Open before losing to Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan in straight sets.

BOPANNA OUT TOO

India's no. 1 Rohan Bopanna did one better than Amritraj this year, reaching the second round of qualifying before losing to 19th seed Pablo Cuevas. The 21-year-old Uruguayan was made to work hard before carving out a 6-4, 6-7 (7-9), 7-5 victory.

The 223-ranked Bopanna had beaten Frenchman Julien Jeanpierre in straight sets in the first round.

SUNITHA ONE MATCH AWAY FROM MAIN DRAW

But there was hope yet for India in the women's singles qualifiers with 219th-ranked Sunitha Rao just one match away from the main draw.

Rao beat 125th-ranked Varvara Lepchenko of Uzbekistan in the second round of qualifying. A hard-fought first set went 7-5 in Sunitha's favour before she blanked Lepchenko in the second to record her second career victory over the Tashkent girl. Their head-to-head tally now stands at 2-2.

In the first round, Rao had beaten Romanian Monica Niculescu, ranked one place higher than her on the WTA list, in a three-setter 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.

The draws for the doubles events at the 2007 US Open were yet to be announced at the time of writing this post.

Good and bad news for Sania Mirza

The Good News: Sania Mirza is the first Indian woman to be seeded at a Grand Slam; the world number 28 is seeded 26 for next week's US Open.
The Bad News: Sania Mirza is unlikely to progress beyond the third round at the Grand Slam where she shockingly reached Round 4 two years ago.

Of course, miracles do happen and we really pray that Mirza will steamroll past Russian star Anna Chakvetadze in the third round. Unfortunately, sixth-seeded Chakvetadze is currently the hottest player on the tour, apart from compatriot Maria Sharapova, and has beaten Mirza three times in 2007.

Two of those victories came at the Cincinnati and Stanford legs of the American hardcourt season last month with the Hyderabadi lass just about managing to take a set off her Russian nemesis.

But is Mirza guaranteed to make it to the third round? Well, on current form she should easily sweep aside her first-round opponent Kaia Kanepi - the world number 44 from Estonia. The two have never met before.

MATCH REPORT: SANIA MIRZA BEATS KAIA KANEPI

Round 2 should be slightly tougher. American Laura Granville, who plays a qualifier in the first round, will have the advantage of a home crowd if she comes through to play Mirza in their first head-to-head meeting. Granville may be ranked 60 now but the experienced player was once number 28 in the world - which is incidentally also Mirza's highest career ranking.

MATCH REPORT: SANIA MIRZA BEATS LAURA GRANVILLE

If Mirza safely negotiates these two hurdles, she will most probably run into Chakvetadze. Which should ideally be the end of the singles competition for the Indian.

MATCH REPORT: ANNA CHAKVETADZE BEATS SANIA MIRZA 6-2, 6-3

But suppose a miracle does happen and Mirza beats the Russian star, she could face Swiss player Patty Schnyder. The momentum should swing Mirza's way here, considering she beat the number 11 seed in last month's Stanford quarters.

There are too many ifs here already but if Mirza were to make history by reaching the quarterfinals, she could bump into another Russian rival - defending champion Maria Sharapova. The 20-year-old has beaten Mirza twice in her career, including in the match which ended the Indian's dream run at the 2005 US Open.

Well, no match is won until the last point and we can safely hope Sania's stinging forehand should spring some surprises at Flushing Meadows.