Wednesday, March 2 2005 21:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Dubai: Giant killer Sania Mirza will defy the pain-barrier once again and go all out in her quarterfinal clash with Jelena Jankovic in the $ 585,000 Dubai Open WTA championship tomorrow (March 3, 2005).

Brushing aside concerns that she might have to concede the match against the 28th seed Serbian due to a troublesome ankle injury, the star Indian player said there was no way she was going to give up.

"I will definitely play the quarter-finals," the 18-year-old told sources in Dubai, her steely resolve coming to the fore once again.

Playing in the event as a wildcard, Sania stunned world number seven and fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in the second round yesterday (March 1, 2005) despite her ankle hampering her on more than one occasion. After the win, she admitted she was driven to despair with the ankle "killing" her.

"It was the third time in three weeks (it happened) and I was crying because I was in so much pain. I was disturbed because always my ankles are getting injured," she said.

Sania said she was taking things easy today as she did not want to strain herself before the big match.

"I have just had 30 minutes of practice, I have been resting mostly," Sania said adding she was feeling "much better" now with massage and treatment as advised by the doctors.

Asked if she had put in some special preparation in the lead-up to this event, Sania, currently ranked 98, said, "I do not have any special preparation, I just go out and play my natural game. Inshallah (God willing) tomorrow also I will be able to play good tennis."

Sania, who created history by becoming the first Indian to win a WTA title in Hyderabad last month, picked 35 WTA points after her win in the first round here against world number 34 Jelena Kostanic of Croatia and after her giantkilling act of the second round, she is all set to move into 60's in the world rankings.

Having started the year around the 168-mark, it has been a remarkable run for the teenager who became the first Indian woman ever to make it to the second round of a Grand Slam during the Australia Open in January this year.