Sania Mirza's [Images] dream run at the USD 1.3 million Acura Classic at San Diego came to an abrupt halt with a loss to Japan's [Images] Akiko Morigami.

Playing before a packed crowd at the Grandstand, Morigami carved out a hardfought 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 victory over the 18-year-old Indian on Thursday.

The world number 61 had also beaten Sania in the Cincinnati quarter-finals last month and now leads the Hyderabadi girl 2-1 in career head-to-head meetings. Sania's lone triumph over Morigami came in the first round at Wimbledon [Images] this year.

Sania, currently ranked 59th on the WTA rankings, had posted a stunning 6-2, 6-1 victory over world number nine Nadia Petrova of Russia [Images] in the second round on Wednesday.

To her credit, the unseeded Indian also notched up two qualifying round wins and a first round victory over Tathiana Garbin of Italy [Images].

Despite the loss, Sania is set to break into the world's top 50 in the latest WTA Tour rankings, making her the first Indian woman to do so.

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