Mirza Gets Crowdbooster And Reaches Semi’s At Bank Of The West Classic

India sensation Sania Mirza has reached the semi’s at the Bank of the West Classic. She beat Swiss 4th seed Patty Schnyder in straight sets this Friday 7-6, 6-1. Mirza received a standing ovation  from the crowd that consisted predominantly of fellow Indians.

“We’re a billion of us,” Mirza said. “So I do think I go through a lot more than any 35th-ranked player would normally go through. But I’m used to it and I use it to my advantage.”

Patty Schnyder was in charge at the beginning of the match but lost it after losing a keymoment in the match. Schnyder was a finalist last year at the Bank of the West Classic.

“I couldn’t win hardly a point after that,” Schnyder said. “It was a very bad match and it’s happening too many times now. I gave her easy shots and she took advantage and found a rhythm.”

Mirza, inspired by the crowd, fought Schnyder to a standstill and then came back from 5-2 behind.

“It’s you playing and it’s you behind 5-2 but knowing all those people are behind you helps,” Mirza said. “You have all these people cheering for you, and they are never quiet. It’s absolutely a positive vibe.”

The keymoment of the match was when Mirza broke Schnyder at 5-3.

“It wasn’t like I was playing terrible tennis,” she said. “She was hitting to my backhand every time and I got used to the pace of it. I’m happy that I converted my weakness to my strength.”

Meanwhile Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia played and defeated qualifier Olga Govortsa in straight sets 7-5, 6-3.

It wasn’t until the pressconference that Hantuchova remembered who the qualifier was. She beat the qualifier last month at the Birmingham tournament.

“I did? That was her?” Hantuchova said. “She’s got a big game. She just needs a lot of experience.”

Hantuchova won easily in Birmingham last month but this time Govortsova was prepared and took a 4-1 lead but Hantuchova quickly recovered and won the first set and took the lead in the second set.

“She came out playing unbelievably,” Daniela Hantuchova said. “I tried to hang in there and wait for my chances. I just wanted to be patient with her and make her play the ball. I kept doing the right things and I felt like I was putting more and more pressure on her as the match went on.”

This semi final marks the fifth for Slovakian Hantuchova. She won her 2nd career title in Indian Wells earlier this year.

Hantuchova now plays Russian Anna Chakvetadze in the semi’s. Chakvetadze was made to fight against Katarina Srebotnik before she won in 3 sets 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

“The first set I was really up and down,” topseed Chakvetadze said. “I felt like if I could hold my serve I could turn it around. I started playing more aggressively. Katarina was a little more aggressive than me in the first set. She made me run all over the court. In the second set I started serving well and returning better.”

In the other semifinal Sybille Bammer, who won in straight sets 6-2, 6-1 versus Lilia Osterloh, will face Sania Mirza.