Sania Mirza, India's most famous sportswoman, brought a little sunshine to the DFS Classic yesterday as she won her first round match before rain wiped out the rest of the day's programme.

Less than three hours play were possible on day two of a tournament that was rendered something of a damp squib as a full house was robbed of the chance to see defending champion Maria Sharapova kickstart her grass court campaign.

British No 1 Anne Keothavong was also forced to wait to play her first match, against Eleni Daniilidou, but that at least leaves Britain with two players in the singles with the event a quarter of the way through.

Thank goodness, therefore, for Mirza.

Before the heavens opened, the 19-year-old gave an entertaining account of her prowess in beating Alona Bondarenko in three sets and showed herself capable of becoming a real force on grass.

She is still guilty of going for broke far too often but is one of the few players in the draw at Edgbaston who has a feel for three-dimensional tennis.

On several occasions the Mumbai-born player constructed a point patiently before working her way to the net and killing off the rally with a decisive volley.

It was an intriguing display against an opponent intent on knocking the felt off the ball from her comfort zone on the baseline.

The disparity between the two was never more apparent than in the second game of the second set, Mirza having won the first 6-2 with two breaks.

Trailing 1-0 she won the first point with a high backhand volley, the second with a low drop shot scooped off the service line and the fourth with an ace for the definitive grass court game.

It was, however, not the complete performance. A slip midway through the second set undermined her confidence in her movement and had her anxiously feeling her foot.

She went on to lose the set 6-3 in a match she was dominating yet the spanking cross court forehand began to drift into the tramlines and her first serve was sacrificed in consecutive games.

It looked as though she might pay the ultimate price when she went 3-1 down in the decider only to real off a string of five games to book a second round clash with Shenay Perry.

"I played a much better game in the first set," Mirza said.

"In the second she raised her level and I changed my strategy, which I should not have done.

"I always go for my shots. That is what wins me matches sometimes but it also loses me a few.

"But at 1-3 down people do not expect you to go for a backhand down the line.

"You've got to take risks."

Sadly the event was hurt by the withdrawal of Alicia Molik yesterday morning.

The Australian pulled out with a neck problem and follows Daniela Hantuchova as a high profile casualty.

Molik's replacement, Anne Kremer, kicks off play on centre court today, resuming her match with Vera Zvonereva.

She is followed by Keothavong with Sharapova third on.