Australian Open: Sania Mirza bids goodbye to Grand Slam career
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khaskhabar.com : Friday, January 27, 2023 1:29 PM
Melbourne | India’s tennis star Sania Mirza ended her Grand Slam career by finishing runner-up in the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year. Sania and her Indian partner Rohan Bopanna lost to Brazilian pair Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos in the mixed doubles final at Melbourne Park.
Sania and Bopanna were defeated 7-6(2), 6-2 by Stefani and Matos in straight sets. The Brazilian pair was playing in their first Grand Slam final.
Sania won her first major title in 2009 at Melbourne Park, partnering with Mahesh Bhupathi. He ended his illustrious Grand Slam career at Melbourne Park.
Seven years later in 2016, Sania teamed up with Swiss star Martina Hingis and won the women’s doubles title as the top seed.
Sania won four more Grand Slam titles outside Australia. He won the Wimbledon and US Open titles in 2015 with Hingis. He won the French Open title in 2012 with Bhupathi and the US Open title in 2014 with Bruno Soares.
An emotional Sania said, “My professional career started in Melbourne in 2005 when I played Serena Williams in the third round as an 18-year-old player.”
“That was 18 years ago. I’ve had the chance to come here again and again and win a few titles. We didn’t win the final this time but what better place and person to end my Grand Slam career,” he said. Nobody was there.”
Sania also said, “I never thought that I would play a Grand Slam final in front of my child but it is a very special occasion for me that my four-year-old son and my parents and Rohan’s wife are here.”
Bopanna was eyeing his second mixed doubles title after the 2017 French Open title but heaped praise on Sania after she finished runner-up.
“Playing with Sania was special. We had our first mixed doubles pairing when she was 14 and we won the title,” Bopanna said.
“Today we played our last match at the Rode Laver Arena. Unfortunately we did not win the title but thank you Sania for serving Indian tennis and motivating each other,” he said.
Sania had announced earlier this month that she would retire from professional tennis after the Dubai Tennis Championships starting on February 19.
–IANS
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