The Last Match Of Sania Mirza, The Queen Of Indian Tennis, Who Overcame Prejudices And Conventions - UBITENNIS
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The Last Match Of Sania Mirza, The Queen Of Indian Tennis, Who Overcame Prejudices And Conventions

After 6 Majors and 43 titles won, the former number one of the women’s doubles in tennis has ended her career in Dubai

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By Andrea Mastronuzzi

Translated by Michele Brusadelli and Chiara Ragionieri

 

After being close to enriching her collection of Grand Slam titles a few weeks ago in Melbourne, Sania Mirza has played the last official match of her career. It happened last week in Dubai, which has been her home for ten years and where she has opened two tennis academies, after the first one she founded in 2013 in Hyderabad, her birthplace in India. Here, she began to become familiar with the racket when she was six, after seeing her cousins having fun on the tennis courts during a family vacation in the United States.

However, at home in India, tennis courts were an absolute rarity and Sania said that the surface on which she took her first steps was very different from the standards of the international tournaments: no clay, no grass and not even hard courts, but cow dung. That’s where the journey of a little girl started. A little girl who, by winning and breaking established patterns, became the undisputed queen of Indian tennis.

“As women, we are given a long list of things that we can’t do, as opposed to being encouraged to go and follow our dreams,” she said.

 When Sonia participated in the first tournaments of her life, tennis was not an unknown sport in India. The men’s movement already had a well-established tradition, thanks to the Krishnans (father and son) and the Amritraj brothers. Soon other important players like Bhupathi and Paes would emerge. Yet, there was no system capable of systematically guiding young players and, above all, for women such a path. Sania, however, could rely on the support of her parents and in particular on the experience of her father Imran, publisher of a sports magazine and cricketer. Only in this way could her talent blossom in a context which, though not hostile, was certainly unprepared.

At eight-years-old Sania triumphed in a home tournament, beating in the final an opponent who was twice her age. The competition level in her homeland couldn’t be compared to what she would encounter in the international arena. But Sania proved she was ready for the big leap: in 2003, aged 18, she won the junior doubles tournament at Wimbledon, and this was the sign of an imminent and rapid rise. In 2005, she played her first Grand Slam in Melbourne, the first Indian woman in history, and made it to the third round, where she was beaten by Serena Williams. Then, in the same year, she reached the last eight in the US Open. This has remained her best singles result in majors (her highest ranking is 27, reached in 2007), also because she decided to focus more and more on doubles. From 2013 she actually became a full-time and successful doubles (women’s and mixed) player.

She won 6 Grand Slam doubles titles, three of which in mixed doubles, and a total of 43 tournaments. Such achievements drove her to top spot in the rankings, which she occupied for 91 weeks. She is considered one of the best women’s doubles players in the history of tennis. 

Among her signature shots, she was gifted with a very powerful forehand, which somehow contrasted with the elegance of her volleys and her stylish moving on court. 

This is one of the features which made the team she formed with Martina Hingis between 2015 and 2016 one of the strongest and most enjoyable to watch. Together they won three Grand Slams (Wimbledon and US Open in 2015, and Australian Open in 2016) and 14 tournaments overall. Their 41-match winning streak is the third all-time best. Only Navratilova-Shriver and Novotna-Zvereva have done better. 

However, as Sania explained in an interview with Wimbledon media last year, knowing there was “even just one person who was inspired by my story” was ever so much more important to her than her victories. 

Her motherhood in 2018 is an integral part of this story as well. 

The former world number one in doubles said that until she became a mother, she was constantly asked when she would take that step: “I’ve had journalists ask me this question in a post-match press conference right after winning a grand slam final, and with the trophy by my side. It’s as if I would not be a complete woman until I became a mother, no matter what I achieved as an athlete.” 

After giving birth to Izhaan, Sania came back to court to prove that family and career can co-exist, and once again, to inspire other women.

Her career and private life as a free woman, ready to do anything to achieve her goals, spurred criticisms and threats. In 2005 a fatwa was issued against her by a group of Muslim scholars who claimed that her clothing on court was contrary to Islamic precepts. 

Again, in 2010, her marriage to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik was much talked about in India. 

The right-wing Hindu nationalist party, the BJP, asked Mirza to “reconsider” her decision to marry a Pakistani, whereas in her husband’s country, many celebrated this wedding as a sort of triumph of Pakistan over India. 

In reality, it was just another moment in Sania’s life where her personal priorities prevailed over cultural and social conventions. 

And this is the legacy she leaves us, enshrined in a frame made up of tennis successes, forehand passing shots and delightful volley winners.

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Luca Van Assche rallies from two sets to one down to beat Alex Michelsen

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Luca Van Assche came back from two sets to one down to defeat Alex Michelsen 4-3 (7-0) 3-4 (4-7) 3-4 (4-7) 4-1 4-3 (8-6) in 2 hours and 36 minutes at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Jeddah in the second longest match in the history of this tournament. 

 

Van Assche and Michelsen went on serve in the first three sets. Both players saved all five break points they faced in the first three sets. 

There were three consecutive breaks in the fourth set. Van Assche earned two of them and served out the set at love in the fifth game. 

Both players traded breaks in the fifth and sixth games of the fifth set. Van Assche earned a chance to serve for the match, but Michelsen pulled back on serve to force a tie-break. 

Van Assche built a 3-0 in the tie-break with an early mini-break. Michelsen saved two match points to draw level to 6-6. Van Assche sealed the win with another mini-break on the second match point. 

“He was playing very well the whole match. It was really close. Not a lot of breaks and it was difficult for me but I am very happy”, said Van Assche. 

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Arthur Fils beats Dominic Stricker to end Green Group unbeaten

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Arthur Fils battled past Dominic Stricker 4-2 3-4 (3-7) 4-2 4-3 (7-5) after 1 hour and 47 minutes in the final round-robin match to end the Green Group unbeaten with a 3-0 record at the Next Gen ATP Finals. 

 

Stricker knew that he would advance to the semifinals if he won just one set. The Swiss player won the set he needed against the already qualified Fils to secure his spot in the semifinal despite the defeat. 

Stricker saved a break point on the deciding point in the third game of the fourth set. Fils earned the break in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead and served out on his second set point. 

Stricker held serve at love in the first game of the fourth set. The Swiss player broke serve on the deciding point to open up a 2-0 lead. Fils broke straight back in the third game and held serve at 15 to draw level to 2-2. Fils earned three mini-breaks, but Stricker pulled back on serve each time. Fils sealed the tie-break 7-5 on his second match point. 

Stricker beat Fils 7-6 7-6 in Gstaad in their only previous head-to-head match last summer. 

Fils saved two break points in the first game to hold serve. Stricker fended off a break point in the fourth game on the deciding point to draw level to 2-2. Fils earned his first break on his third set point with a forehand return winner in the sixth game to clinch the first set 4-2. 

Stricker saved the only break point of the second set in the fourth game. Both players held on their serve en route to the tie-break. Stricker won six consecutive points from 0-1 down with two mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-3. 

Fils won his first title in Lyon and reached the final in Antwerp

“I knew before the match that I qualified, but I just want to win every match that I am playing. I think I put a little bit more focus out there out there today than the first two days because I know this opponent and he already beat me this year. It was a tough match but I am really happy to win and let’s see who I get in the semifinal”, said Fils in the post- match interview. 

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Luca Nardi beats Flavio Cobolli but it’s not enough to advance to the semifinals at the Next Gen Finals

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World number 115 Luca Nardi overcame Flavio Cobolli in an Italian match 3-4 (4-7) 4-2 4-3 (7-1) 1-4 4-3 (7-3) in 2 hours and 14 minutes in the final round robin match of Green Group at the Next Gen Finals at King Abdullah Sports Club in Jeddah. 

 

The win was not enough to earn a semifinal spot for Nardi. Arthur Fils is the first player to qualify for the knock-out stage. The top seeded Frenchman will face Dominic Stricker later today. Stricker needs to win just one set to reach the semifinals. 

Both players went on serve in the first set en route to the tie-break. Cobolli earned two mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-4. 

Nardi saved two break points in the third game of the second set to take a 2-1 lead. The world number 115 broke serve in the sixth game to close out the second set 4-2. 

Cobolli converted his second break point in the first game of the third set. Nardi pulled back on serve in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Nardi opened up a 3-0 lead with two mini-breaks. Cobolli pulled one of the two mini-breaks back for 1-3. Nardi won the final four points with two mini-breaks to claim the tie-break 7-1. 

Nardi clutched his groin when he was serving at 0-1 in the fourth set and called a medical time-out at 0-3. Cobolli earned a break in the second game to close out the fourth set 4-1. 

Cobolli saved two break points to hold serve in the second game. Nardi fended off two break points in the fifth game. Both players held on serve en route to the tie-break. Nardi earned his first mini-break with a backhand flick from out wide to take a 2-1 lead. Cobolli pulled the mini-break back to draw level to 2-2. Nardi closed out the match with a return down the line winner.   

Nardi hit 27 winners to 12 unforced errors. 

“I am happy with the win. Even if I did not qualify, I think today was the best match I played out of the three. I am a bit sad I did not qualify, but I did not want to leave Jeddah without a win. I kept fighting today and I am happy”, said Nardi. 

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