NEW YORK: Indian tennis player Sania Mirza with Brazilian partner Bruno Soares progressed to the second round of the mixed doubles competitions of the US Open at the Flushing Meadows here.
It wasn't exactly an easy opener for the top seeds as they needed an hour and eight minutes to move past local pair Tornado Alicia Black and Ernesto Escobedo 6-2, 3-5, 10-5 late Wednesday evening.
Sania had also won her women's doubles first round with Zimbabwean Cara Black against Czech twin sisters Karolina and Kristyna Pliskova.
Sania's compatriot and defending champions Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek also moved into the men's doubles second round when they overcame Italians Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini.