Sania Mirza, right, with Maria Kirilenko of Russia in the semifinal of WTA Hyderabadin Hyderabad on Feb. 11. Mirza won 6-4, 7-6. (Photo: Mohammed Jaffer/SnapsIndia)

Hyderabad : Sania Mirza reached the finals of the $140,000 WTA Hyderabadhere on Feb. 11, beating Maria Kirilenko of Russia in straight sets.

Mirza, the first Indian woman to enter the finals of a WTA event, defeated Kirilenko 6-4, 7-6. She was scheduled to meet Ukraine’s Alyona Bondarenko in the finals on Feb. 12, who made the grade without hitting a ball, as her semifinal opponent, second seed Anna-Lena Groenefeld, withdrew.

Mirza, a favorite of the home crowd, pulled off another thriller despite an ankle injury. In her two-hour battle, she overcame a spirited fightback by last year’s finalist Kirilenko.

Capitalizing on some unforced errors by the Russian, Mirza took the first set 6-4. With a 3-0 lead in the second, it seemed she was cruising comfortably towards a win before Kirilenko bounced back. “It’s a dream come true,” she said after the match.

Mirza had created a sensation by reaching the third round of the Australianthis year.