Sania Mirza's brilliant run at the WTA Japan Open ended with a crushing 2-6 1-6 mauling in the semifinal at the hands world number 26 and fourth seed Francesca Schiavone on Saturday.
Sania's defeat meant that the Indian has now lost all three encounters against her Italian friend.
The Hyderabadi had beaten Shahar Peer and Marian Bartoli en route to the last-four stage. It was for the third time in the season that Sania had made the singles semifinal of an WTA event.
The Indian earned 130 ranking points and USD 10,200 as prize money for her brilliant effort through the week in the
$220,000 hard court event.
Sania could not play the way she did against Peer and Bartoli, who had retired mid-way due to a shoulder injury, and
lost her semifinal within an hour.
Sania saved a breakpoint in the first set but the Italian still broke her twice to race away with the lead.
The second set was again a lop-sided affair with Schiavone breaking Sania twice as she quickly wrapped up the
affair.
The second set was again a lop-sided affair with Schiavone breaking Sania twice as she quickly wrapped up the
affair.