INDIAN WELLS, California (AFP) - India's Sania Mirza continued her domination of Shahar Peer, defeating the ninth-seeded Israeli in three sets Sunday to reach the fourth round of the Pacific Life Open.
Mirza triumphed 6-7 (7/9), 7-5, 6-3 for her fourth career win over Peer in as many meetings.
"We always play tough matches, but it's about finding the way to win," Mirza said.
Mirza, ranked 32nd in the world, said she was pleased that she was able to regain her focus after dropping the tight first set.
"I was a bit irritated with myself, because I was fighting, fighting, the whole time, coming back all the time, leveling up and then not going up or finishing it.
"Finally I did go up one point and one set point, and I sprayed the ball off my backhand. It's very hard to regain your focus ... you have to inspire yourself to fight all over again, because you've done everything right except win that set."
Although she has reached just one quarter-final this year, the 21-year-old from Hyderabad said she believes she has coped well given off-court distractions she has faced.
Mirza, a Muslim, has been criticised in the past by Islamist groups for wearing short skirts while competing, and found it necessary to apologise for filming an advertisement near an historic mosque.
In January she faced a lawsuit, now dropped, for alleged disrespect after photographs showed her bare feet resting near the Indian flag.
"Personally this is a good achievement to be playing the way I am playing and to be beating these players who are at the top, because I'm dealing with a lot of things off the court, which a lot of people are not dealing with," she said.
"You know, I'm fine. We all go through ups and downs. Sometimes you feel like 'why do you want to do this?'
"And sometimes you feel like 'Oh, I'm going to show everyone and oppose all the odds and come out of this.'"
Mirza earned a fourth-round meeting with Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova, the defending champion of the women's tier one tournament that runs alongside the ATP Masters Series event here.
Hantuchova, the fifth seed, beat China's Zheng Jie 6-4, 6-2.
Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova, the fourth seed, advanced with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Greece's Eleni Daniilidou.
"It was a very scratchy match from my side," Sharapova said. "I was just not seeing the ball, not moving that great.
"She's always tough, because you never really know what to expect from her. So she doesn't give you a lot of rhythm."
Sharapova next faces Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko, ranked 24th in the world. Bondarenko defeated former world number one Amelie Mauresmo 6-1, 6-2.
Second-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova struggled through with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova.
Kuznetsova booked a meeting with Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki, a 6-0, 6-2 winner over Japan's Aiko Nakamura.
American Ashley Harkleroad, ranked 73rd in the world, shocked eighth-seeded Russian Dinara Safina 7-5, 6-2, lining up a meeting with Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 winner over China's Peng Shuai.
Top seed Ana Ivanovic headlines women's play on Monday, when third-seeded Jelena Jankovic, sixth seed Marion Bartoli and US favorite Lindsay Davenport were all in action.
