Friday, January 21 2005 14:46 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Melbourne: Sania Mirza's dream run in the Australian Open was cut short abruptly as she went down in straight sets against six-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams in the women's singles third round in Melbourne today (Jan 21, 2005).

Sania, the first Indian woman to have reached this far in a Grand Slam event, put up a late challenge before losing 1-6 4-6 to the former world number one at the Vodafone Arena.

The 18-year old wildcard saved two match points and held her own for the better part of the game against a player who not long ago had all the four Grand Slams under her belt.

The Hyderabadi overcame a first set walloping and pushed the 2003 winner to her limits in the second set before the seventh seed raised her game to quell Sania's challenge in 57 minutes.

The American moved Sania around the court like a puppet on strings but the Indian on more than one occasion had her rival in a spot of bother.

Sania, who would jump up by 66 places to be close to the 130-mark in world rankings, had a break point in the fourth game of the second set but she let Williams off the hook with a backhand into the net.

A stunning forehand helped her deuce the game before her rival uncorked a scorching ace to gain advantage and hold the serve.

However, Williams' breathtaking court coverage and the superior backhand placements ultimately proved too much for Sania.

It was Williams' powerful serves which helped her get out of trouble. She had 12 aces in all and the highest serving speed was 197 kmph.

The unforced errors for both the players was an amazing minimum at 18 each. Williams, however, had 26 winners compared to Sania's 11.

Williams raced away to a 5-0 lead with breaks in the second and fourth game in just 15 minutes.

It was a while before Sania could gain a footing and win her first game. Her first authoritative shot, her trademark forehand, came in the fifth game. Williams failed to control a volley against a crosscourt forehand but responded with an ace to hold serve.

Sania, however, was on even keel in the second set.

That she served first helped her confidence and the sporting Australian crowd backed the underdog with some robust applause.

She tested Williams with a drop shot but the American destroyed her with a fierce forehand of her own.

Williams, yet to lose a set in the tournament, though had to produce her best tennis to hold serve in the fourth game. A backhand winner by Sania put her in 0-30 but the Indian failed to convert the advantage.

Williams was unusually tight as was evident in the sixth game where she had to once again fight in a 40-40 situation.

But Serena pushed her game to put the pressure back on her rival. As luck would have it, a forehand clipped the net-chord to give Williams the break in the seventh game.

The enormity of the task before her weighed down the Indian now. Sania still battled back from a 15-40 situation with three ripping forehands to hold serve. But the match was firmly in Williams's grasp and she served out in style.