Sania in pre-quarters of Durban event

Top seed Indian junior Sania Mirza entered the pre-quarter-finals of the girls' singles, trouncing South African Hayley St Leger 6-1, 6-1 in the Dolphin international grade 2 girls' championship, being played in Durban.

Despite having difficulty in playing on hard court, after playing for four weeks on grass and two weeks on clay in Egypt, Sania, ranked 47 on the ITF junior girls' world ranking, adjusted well to the new surface.

The Hyderabadi lass kept her rival at the baseline and rushed to the net to catch her on the wrong foot often. Her first serve clicked and she won the tie in 55 minutes.

The 14-year-old Sania will meet Taryn Routman of South Africa in the next round.

Another Hyderabadi girl, Sasha Abraham will be playing her first round on Wednesday, as she is unwell and requested the organisers to put off her first round match.

Sania had won a grand double at Giza, winning both singles and doubles titles. At the Cairo event she lost in the singles final, but won the doubles.