Playing the last Grand Slam tournament of her career, Sania Mirza earned
the chance to win her seventh major title by reaching the Australian Open
mixed doubles final with compatriot Rohan Bopanna in Melbourne on
Wednesday. The unseeded Indian pair knocked out third seeds Desirae
Krawczyk and Neal Skupski 7-6(5) 6-7(5) 10-6 in the semifinal that lasted
one hour and 52 minutes. After splitting a set each, the Indians raced to a
commanding lead in the Super Tie-breaker. Sania found a stunning backhand
winner to earn three match point and sealed the contest with a drive volley
that Krawczyk could not return.”It was an amazing match, there was a lot of nerves. It’s my last slam and
it’s so special to play with Rohan. He was my first mixed doubles partner
when I was 14 and today I’m 36 and he is 42 and we are still playing, we
have a solid relationship,” Sania said after the match.
the chance to win her seventh major title by reaching the Australian Open
mixed doubles final with compatriot Rohan Bopanna in Melbourne on
Wednesday. The unseeded Indian pair knocked out third seeds Desirae
Krawczyk and Neal Skupski 7-6(5) 6-7(5) 10-6 in the semifinal that lasted
one hour and 52 minutes. After splitting a set each, the Indians raced to a
commanding lead in the Super Tie-breaker. Sania found a stunning backhand
winner to earn three match point and sealed the contest with a drive volley
that Krawczyk could not return.”It was an amazing match, there was a lot of nerves. It’s my last slam and
it’s so special to play with Rohan. He was my first mixed doubles partner
when I was 14 and today I’m 36 and he is 42 and we are still playing, we
have a solid relationship,” Sania said after the match.
“We are excited to come back here and give ourselves another chance. We
were playing the best mixed doubles pair on Tour and had to come up with
the best,” she said about the rival players from USA and England.
“I’m not a crier but I’m almost there right now, I feel the love for the
last 18 years I have been coming here. It feels like home for me, I have a
family here, I eat at home and I have so many Indians supporting me,” said
Sania, who won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in 2009,
winning the title with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi.
