Sony Ericsson Open - Sania Mirza moves into final round of qualifying

India’s Sania Mirza has won her first round match in the qualifying draw for the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami – considered to be the fifth Slam in tennis.

Mirza beat world no. 95 Irina Falconi 7-6, 6-0 for a rare singles win and she moves into the final round fo qualifying where she will meet another young American – the world no. 90 Sloane Stephens.

A win against Stephens will give the Indian a place in the main draw.

Among other women advancing on the opening day were Mirjana Lucic, Araane Rezai and Americans Madison Keys and Jamie Hampton.

In the men’s qualifying event, Americans Bobby Reynolds and Micheal Russell were winners as were former Australian Open finalist Arnaud Clement and wild card Sergei Bubka.

Men’s Qualifying Singles – First RoundE Roger-Vasselin (FRA) d A Kudryavtsev (RUS) 62 00 RetiredT Kamke (GER) d J Silva (BRA) 62 00 RetiredG Garcia-Lopez (ESP) d M Viola (ITA) 63 36 64M Bachinger (GER) d R Bemelmans (BEL) 64 62B Paire (FRA) d A Kuznetsov (USA) 61 26 64P Lorenzi (ITA) d A Brugues-Davi (ESP) 76(8) 63F Bagnis (ARG) d E Prodon (FRA) 63 63A Clement (FRA) d I Andreev (RUS) 67(8) 64 62[WC] M Chiudinelli (SUI) d M Ilhan (TUR) 64 61S Bolelli (ITA) d A Delic (BIH) 46 76(5) 63B Phau (GER) d [WC] D Evans (GBR) 76(4) 60B Reynolds (USA) d S Vagnozzi (ITA) 61 64[WC] S Bubka (UKR) d R Dutra Silva (BRA) 75 64R Bautista-Agut (ESP) d R De Voest (RSA) 76(5) 46 76(6)F Dancevic (CAN) d R Mello (BRA) 64 64D Goffin (BEL) d J Zopp (EST) 40 RetiredG Rufin (FRA) d H Zeballos (ARG) 75 61F Serra (FRA) d T Schoorel (NED) 63 62M Russell (USA) d [WC] T Smyczek (USA) 46 63 62A Veic (CRO) d G Zemlja (SLO) 75 00 RetiredP Capdeville (CHI) d [WC] G Elias (POR) 16 63 64J Ward (GBR) d A Golubev (KAZ) 63 63R Ram (USA) d [Alt] M Elgin (RUS) 62 64Y Sugita (JPN) d [Alt] V Estrella (DOM) 76(8) 64

Women’s Qualifying Singles – First RoundK Bondarenko (UKR) d [WC] N Broady (GBR) 63 60M Doi (JPN) d A Keothavong (GBR) 64 63S Hsieh (TPE) d A Amanmuradova (UZB) 75 26 61V Dushevina (RUS) d [WC] L Davis (USA) 63 61V Lepchenko (USA) d A Riske (USA) 75 67(7) 62L Robson (GBR) d A Panova (RUS) 63 76(3)U Radwanska (POL) d E Rodina (RUS) 36 61 62[WC] M Keys (USA) d O Govortsova (BLR) 63 57 64S Foretz Gacon (FRA) d Y Meusburger (AUT) 62 36 76(2)S Stephens (USA) d [WC] I de Vroome (NED) 61 63[WC] A Pivovarova (RUS) d S Dubois (CAN) 16 64 60M Minella (LUX) d S Karatantcheva (KAZ) 64 63M Czink (HUN) d P Mayr-Achleitner (AUT) 64 64A Rezai (FRA) d E Gallovits-Hall (ROU) 62 36 75A Cornet (FRA) d N Bratchikova (RUS) 62 63A Rus (NED) d [WC] C Garcia (FRA) 26 63 61J Hampton (USA) d P Ormaechea (ARG) 64 63S Mirza (IND) d I Falconi (USA) 76(4) 60A Rodionova (AUS) d L Tsurenko (UKR) 62 64A Hlavackova (CZE) d K Chang (TPE) 62 01 RetiredM Lucic (CRO) d L Arruabarrena-Vecino (ESP) 64 76(6)E Birnerova (CZE) d K Barrois (GER) 62 26 75Y Chan (TPE) d A Kudryavtseva (RUS) 61 64V Savinykh (RUS) d S Voegele (SUI) 75 31 Retired