Sania Mirza [Images] survived a brief lapse of concentration before advancing to the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday with a 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 victory against Switzerland's [Images] Timea Bacsinszky.

Sania started off in smashing fashion as she took the first set 6-1 in just 22 minutes, but the Swiss world number 119 fought back in the second set.

• Sania considered quitting over flag row

The 31st-seeded Indian also didn't help her cause with a string of unforced errors in the second set, but things improved in the decider. Sania continued to toil in the third set and broke Bacsinszky's serve in the 12th game to win it 7-5 and advance to the third round.

The 21-year-old next faces eight seed American Venus Williams for a place in the last 16. Venus was also made to work hard in both sets before beating Frenchwoman Camille Pin 7-5 6-4.

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