JOIN USThe Indian, seeded 26th in the qualifiers, surrendered 0-6, 1-6 before Daniel in a one-sided affair that lasted just 58 minutes.
The Brazilian outclassed Somdev in every department of the game as the Indian failed to hold on to his serve even once to hand over the opening set in just 23 minutes.
The 35 minute-long second set was no different as Somdev could hold his serve only once before surrendering to his fancied rival. The Brazilian’s dominance in the match could be gauged from the fact that he registered 30 winners compared to nine from his opponent.
Somdev was nowhere near his usual best as he failed to convert a single break point opportunity out of the five he earned in the entire match. In contrast, Daniel utilised five of the eight break points he earned.
Sania faces Galina
Sania Mirza will open her campaign against Kazakhstan’s Galina Voskoboev, ranked 95th in the world. Sania, ranked 91, is expected to cross the first hurdle but the Indian could run into a really tough opponent in the second round, where she could meet formidable seventh seed Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, who is pitted against Claire Feuerstein of the host nation in her opening round.
Sania enjoys a 1-0 lead over Voskoboev, defeating her in straight sets in San Diego in 2005. The Indian ace had skipped the last French Open due to a wrist injury.
Sania has never moved beyond the second round here and it will be Herculean task for her to improve her record.