Sania suffers first round defeat

Sania Mirza flattered to deceive and went down to Gisela Dulko of Argentina 3-6, 4-6 in the first round of the $1,340,000 Kremlin Cup in Moscow on Tuesday.

The 29th ranked Indian, who reached the quarter-finals of the Japan Open last week after a brief injury lay-off, had earlier lost to the Argentine in the 2005 French Open and a Tier III event in Pattaya City in February.

Sania committed double faults at crucial points and had to pay the price for it against the 40th-ranked Dulko, who needed 75 minutes to send the Indian packing from the Tier I event.

Sania, however, paired up with Switzerland's Patty Schnyder to beat Vera Dushevina of Russia and Tatiana Perebiynis of Ukraine 6-1, 6-3 in the doubles first round.