Mirza earns finals showdown with top seed Chakvetadze

Sania Mirza will play in the final(Action Images / Krishnendu Halder) Mirza earns finals showdown with top seed Chakvetadze STANFORD, California, July 28, 2007 (AFP) - India's Sania Mirza reached the final of the 600,000-dollar WTA Bank of the West Classic on Saturday with a three-set victory over eighth-seeded Sybille Bammer. Mirza topped Austria's Bammer - her third seeded victim in a row - 6-2, 5-7, 6-3. In the final she'll get a shot at top-seeded Russian Anna Chakvetadze, who beat third-seeded Slovakian Daniel Hantuchova 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-2 Mirza, ranked 35th in the world, reached her first final since Forest Hills in August of 2005. Before beating Bammer, the 20-year-old had ousted fourth-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland in the quarter-finals and sixth-seeded Tatiana Golovin of France in the second round. "It's a great start to the hardcourt season," Mirza said. "I've had great wins here and I'm starting to hit the ball better." Mirza, who seems fully recovered from a knee injury that sidelined her for almost 2 1/2 months earlier this year, earned a key break in the third set to take a 4-3 advantage. After holding serve to get to 5-3, Mirza broke Bammer again to secure the win. "I tried to be more aggressive in the third set and play like I did in the first set," she said. "I started to feel tired late in the second set and then I regrouped. It was all mental. I told myself to hang in there and I did." "In the second set she was a little shaky, a little nervous," Bammer said. "But in the third set she played great tennis. She played deep and I couldn't move her." This will be Mirza's first Tier II final appearance. In her only career singles win, she captured the title at Hyderabad (Tier IV) in 2005 and became the first player from India to win a WTA title. In Chakvetadze she'll face a player who has won eight consecutive hardcourt matches and is in position to capture her second straight singles title. She claimed her fifth career title and third this season on Sunday at Cincinnati. Ranked eighth in the world, the 20-year-old also has claimed titles at Hobart and 's-Hertogenbosch this season.

Sharapova makes San Diego title defence return

Sharapova makes San Diego title defence return

CARLSBAD, California, July 29, 2007 (AFP) - Defending champion Maria Sharapova makes her first appearance since Wimbledon at the San Diego Classic this week as she once again tests her long-standing shoulder injury.

The world number two, who beat Kim Clijsters in the 2006 final to capture the hardcourt title here, has been dogged by the injury problem since the spring.

But a pain-killing injection has helped her to the French Open semi-finals and a Wimbledon fourth-round loss to Venus Williams.

Following the wet fortnight at the All England Club, the 20-year-old Russian underwent a precautionary scan and controversially pulled out of Russia's Fed Cup semi-final win over the United States.

Despite failing to win a trophy so far this season, and with her US Open title defence approaching, Sharapova is unworried.

"I'm 20 years old, I've won two Grand Slams. I've been number one in the world," she said.

"I've got plenty more years to either win matches or find confidence."

Serb Jelena Jankovic, who won a surprise Wimbledon mixed doubles title with Jamie Murray, has played just one Fed Cup rubber indoors since the All England Club.

She will get back on cement for the first time since March in Miami.

Along with the other eight leading seeds, she has a first-round bye at what will be the last edition of an event which has fallen victim to the WTA calendar shake-up.

Russians hold half of the top eight seedings, with Anna Chakvetadze at three, Nadia Petrova fourth and Dinara Safina eighth.

Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli of France will try to put behind last week's opening-match disappointment at Stanford when she lost to Lilia Osterloh.

The Frenchwoman has admitted to still being tired and overwhelmed by her surprise Grand Slam performance this month.

Slovak Daniela Hantuchova takes the sixth seeding with Martina Hingis at seven and playing for the first time since a back injury which hampered her Wimbledon.

Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, who will represent her family after sister Serena withdrew with her thumb injury, last played the event in 2002 when she lifted the title with a win over Jelena Dokic.