Sania-Soares, Paes-Hingis in semis

MELBOURNE, January 28

Sania Mirza and Leander Paes are on course for a showdown in the final. The two today reached the mixed doubles semifinals with their respectice partners.

Top seeds Mirza and Brazilian Bruno Soares carved out an easy 6-2 6-2 win over the home pair of Casey Dellacqua and John Peers.

Seventh seeded Paes and Martina Hingis progressed from the bottom-half of the draw with a 6-3 6-1 win over fourth seeds Andrea Hlavackova from Czech Republic and Austria’s Alexander Peya.

Sania and Soares broke their rivals twice each in both the sets. They did not face any breakpoint in the opening set and saved a couple in the second set. They now await winners of the last-eight match between third seeds Kristina Mladenovic/Daniel Nestor and fifth seeds Cara Black/Juan Sebastian Cabal. 

Paes and Hingis will face either Taipei’s Su-Wei Hsieh and Pablo Cuevas from Uruguay or Katarina Srebotnik from Slovakia and Brazilian Marcelo Melo.

In the boys’ singles, Sumit Nagal’s campaign ended with a 1-6 1-6 defeat against Australia’s Marc Polmans in the third round. — PTI

Results (Quarterfinals)