Sania Mirza wins a grand double at Giza

Shailesh Soni

Top-seeded Indian junior Sania Mirza scored a grand double winning the girls' singles title before pairing up with Sasha Abraham to take the doubles crown as well in the Movenpick grade-3 international junior tennis tournament being played in Giza, Egypt.

In a thrilling final, Sania won the singles title defeating Sweden's Helena Norfeldt 3-6, 7-6 (13-11), 6-2.

The first set went with serve till the seventh game. But the Swedish girl broke Sania in the eighth and served out the set in the next.

In the second set, defeat was staring Sania in the face as she fought off four match points. But then she came back strongly to win the marathon tiebreaker 13-11.

The 14-year-old 10th standard student then raced away with the third set to take the title after a 90-minute battle.

This was Sania's second ITF grade-3 title, having won the Bangladesh international junior championship at Dhaka in February. The victory earns her 60 International Tennis Federation points and moves her up into the top 50 bracket.

In the doubles final, Sania and Sasha outplayed the Egyptian pair of Khalifa Amani and Heidi Tacq 6-3, 6-3.

Earlier reports:
Sania Mirza enters Giza tennis final
Indian juniors shine on ITF circuit