Sania Mirza bids farewell to tennis after first round defeat at Dubai Duty Free Championships
Darpan News Desk IANS, 21 Feb, 2023 01:17 PM
Dubai, Feb 21 (IANS) Indian tennis star Sania Mirza on Tuesday ended her magnificent 20-year-long career with a defeat in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, here.
The 36-year-old India legend lost in straight sets along with American partner Madison Keys in women's doubles tie. The pair went 4-6 0-6 down to Russian pair of Veronika Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova in one hour long battle.
A mother to 4-year-old boy Izhaan, Mirza, who had turned pro back in 2003, ended her glorious career with six Grand Slam trophies.
Three of those came in women's doubles with Swiss great Martina Hingis. The other three were in mixed doubles, two of which were with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi - 2009 Australian Open and 2012 French Open - while the other one was a US Open trophy with Bruno Soares.
Earlier last month, Sania was denied a fairytale ending to her Grand Slam career after she lost in the Australian Open mixed doubles final with Rohan Bopanna.
Swapna Barman on Wednesday created history by becoming the first Indian heptathlete to win an Asian Games gold here, a feat she achieved despite competing with pain due to a toothache.
The Indian women’s hockey team made its first Asian Games final in 20 years, outlasting three-time champions China 1-0 in a fiercely-contested battle here on Wednesday.
Javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's historic gold medal, along with three silver medals in athletics, continued success stories of P.V. Sindhu and Saina Nehwal and the men's table tennis team's first-ever medal assurance marked a successful day for India at the Asian Games here on Monday.
Indian sprinters Muhammed Anas, Hima Das and Dutee Chand claimed silver medals, while two rare silver medals in equestrian and two bronze medals in the bridge event soared India's medal tally to 36 at the end of ninth day at the 18th Asian Games on Sunday.
Olympic medallists PV Sindhu and Saina Nehwal today headed for a gold medal showdown at the 18th Asian Games after their quarterfinal victories ensured India’s first ever women’s singles medals at the Continental event.
