Sania Mirza Writes Another Page In Indian Tennis History
Sania Mirza stormed into her first Grand Slam doubles final as she and her partner Elena Vesnina defeated American duo of Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond in a thrilling three-setter in the semi-finals of the French Open.
Seeded seventh in the tournament, Sania and Vesnina beat their fourth seeded opponents 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in 105 minute semi-final contest at the Roland Garros.
In the final, the Indo-Russian combo will face the unseeded Czech duo of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka who beat third seeded pair of Vania King of United States and Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan 6-3, 6-3 in another semi-final.
This is the highest ever achievement for the lady herself and for Indian ladies in general. But to reach this stage, Sania has passed through many testing times. Let's have a look at her chequered career.
She is the first ever Indian to break into the top 30 WTA rankings. Mirza has defeated many top players, including Svetlana Kuznetsova and Martina Hingis.
In April 2003, Mirza made her debut in the India Fed Cup team, winning all three singles matches. She also won the 2003 Wimbledon Championships Girls' Doubles title, teaming up with Alisa Kleybanova of Russia.
Mirza is the highest ranked female tennis player ever from India, with a career high ranking of 27 in singles and 18 in doubles. She is the first Indian woman to be seeded in a Grand Slam tennis tournament. She was the first Indian woman to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament at the 2005 U.S. Open, defeating Mashona Washington, Maria Elena Camerin and Marion Bartoli. In winning, with Mahesh Bhupathi, the mixed doubles event at the 2009 Australian Open, she became the first Indian woman to win a Grand Slam title.
In 2005, Mirza reached the third round of the Australian Open, losing to eventual champion Serena Williams. On 12 February 2005, she became the first Indian woman to win a WTA singles title, defeating Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine in the Hyderabad Open Finals.
Mirza had had the best results of her career during the 2007 summer hardcourt season, finishing eighth in the 2007 U.S. Open Series standings. She reached the final of the Bank of the West Classic and won the doubles event with Shahar Pe'er, and reached the quarterfinals of the Tier 1 Acura Classic.
At the 2007 U.S. Open, she reached the third round before losing to Anna Chakvetadze. In the mixed doubles, she reached quarterfinals with her partner Mahesh Bhupathi and the quarterfinals in the women's doubles with Bethanie Mattek, including a win over number two seeds Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur.
At the 2008 Wimbledon Championships, as No.32 seed, Mirza was defeated by qualifier María José Martínez Sánchez, 6–0, 4–6, 9–7.
Mirza was eliminated in the first round of the 2008 Beijing Olympics when she retired in her match against Iveta Benešová because of a right wrist injury. She made it through the first round at Women's Doubles in Beijing with Sunitha Rao, but lost in the second round to Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dinara Safina. Throughout 2008, Mirza was plagued by a slew of wrist injuries, requiring her to withdraw from several matches including those of the Roland Garros and US Open Grand Slams.
At 2009 Australian Open, in mixed doubles Sania Mirza picked up her first Grand Slam title. Partnered with Mahesh Bhupathi, she beat Nathalie Dechy (France) and Andy Ram (Israel) 6–3, 6–1 in the final in Melbourne. She then entered the Pattaya Women's Open Tournament in Bangkok where she reached the finals after a string of good performances. She lost the finals to Vera Zvonareva 7–5, 6–1. She made the semis in doubles in the same tournament.
At the 2010 US Open – Women's Singles Qualifying where she won three straight matches. She defeated Ksenia Lykina, Elena Bovina, Catalina Castaño to qualify for the main draw. In main draw she defeated qualifier Michelle Larcher De Brito 6–3,6–2. In next round she went down to 20th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6–2,6–4.
In October, she represented India at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, as the 2nd seed. She defeated Brittany Teei, Marina Erakovic, and Olivia Rogowska before losing to Australia's Anastasia Rodionova in the final. In doubles, she partnered with India's Rushmi Chakravarthi, losing in the semifinals to Anastasia Rodionova and Sally Peers. Then for the Bronze Medal match, Mirza and Rushmi Chakravarthi beat fellow Indians Poojashree Venkatesha and Nirupama Sanjeev.
In November, she represented India at the 2010 Asian Games. The unseeded Indian defeated Venise Wing Yau Chan in first round. Next she defeated 6th seed Shuai Zhang in straight sets 6–2,6–2 to enter into quarterfinal. In quarterfinal Mirza won against 2nd seed Tamarine Tanasugarn 6–2,6–3 to move in semi final, where she went down fighting to 3rd seed Akgul Amanmuradova 7–6(7),3–6,4–6 and won Bronze Medal in singles. In Mixed Doubles she partnered with Vishnu Vardhan losing in the finals to Yung-Jan Chan and Tsung-Hua Yang, win Silver Medal.
Starting with World no. 141, in 2011, she competed at the 2011 Australian Open – Women's Singles Qualifying where she won three straight matches to qualify for the main draw. In the first round she went down fighting to former world no. 1 Justine Henin 5–7,6–3,6–1. She partnerd Voracova for doubles but lost in the first round also.
Mirza breezed through the first round of 2011 French Open where she beat Kristina Barrois of Germany in straight sets, 6–3,6–3. Then in Round 2, she went down fighting 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, 2–6, 4–6.
For mixed doubles, she has partnered fellow Indian Rohan Bopanna and the pair faced Chuang Chia-jung (Chinese Taipei) and Marcin Matkowski (Poland) in the first round, and they lost 7–6(4), 7–6(2).
In 2004 she was awarded the Arjuna award by the Indian Government. In 2006, Mirza was awarded a Padma Shri, India's fourth highest honor for her achievements as a tennis player.
Sania Mirza stormed into her first Grand Slam doubles final as she and her partner Elena Vesnina defeated American duo of Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond in a thrilling three-setter in the semi-finals of the French Open.
Seeded seventh in the tournament, Sania and Vesnina beat their fourth seeded opponents 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in 105 minute semi-final contest at the Roland Garros.
In the final, the Indo-Russian combo will face the unseeded Czech duo of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka who beat third seeded pair of Vania King of United States and Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan 6-3, 6-3 in another semi-final.
This is the highest ever achievement for the lady herself and for Indian ladies in general. But to reach this stage, Sania has passed through many testing times. Let's have a look at her chequered career.
She is the first ever Indian to break into the top 30 WTA rankings. Mirza has defeated many top players, including Svetlana Kuznetsova and Martina Hingis.
In April 2003, Mirza made her debut in the India Fed Cup team, winning all three singles matches. She also won the 2003 Wimbledon Championships Girls' Doubles title, teaming up with Alisa Kleybanova of Russia.
Mirza is the highest ranked female tennis player ever from India, with a career high ranking of 27 in singles and 18 in doubles. She is the first Indian woman to be seeded in a Grand Slam tennis tournament. She was the first Indian woman to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament at the 2005 U.S. Open, defeating Mashona Washington, Maria Elena Camerin and Marion Bartoli. In winning, with Mahesh Bhupathi, the mixed doubles event at the 2009 Australian Open, she became the first Indian woman to win a Grand Slam title.
In 2005, Mirza reached the third round of the Australian Open, losing to eventual champion Serena Williams. On 12 February 2005, she became the first Indian woman to win a WTA singles title, defeating Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine in the Hyderabad Open Finals.
Mirza had had the best results of her career during the 2007 summer hardcourt season, finishing eighth in the 2007 U.S. Open Series standings. She reached the final of the Bank of the West Classic and won the doubles event with Shahar Pe'er, and reached the quarterfinals of the Tier 1 Acura Classic.
At the 2007 U.S. Open, she reached the third round before losing to Anna Chakvetadze. In the mixed doubles, she reached quarterfinals with her partner Mahesh Bhupathi and the quarterfinals in the women's doubles with Bethanie Mattek, including a win over number two seeds Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur.
At the 2008 Wimbledon Championships, as No.32 seed, Mirza was defeated by qualifier María José Martínez Sánchez, 6–0, 4–6, 9–7.
Mirza was eliminated in the first round of the 2008 Beijing Olympics when she retired in her match against Iveta Benešová because of a right wrist injury. She made it through the first round at Women's Doubles in Beijing with Sunitha Rao, but lost in the second round to Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dinara Safina. Throughout 2008, Mirza was plagued by a slew of wrist injuries, requiring her to withdraw from several matches including those of the Roland Garros and US Open Grand Slams.
At 2009 Australian Open, in mixed doubles Sania Mirza picked up her first Grand Slam title. Partnered with Mahesh Bhupathi, she beat Nathalie Dechy (France) and Andy Ram (Israel) 6–3, 6–1 in the final in Melbourne. She then entered the Pattaya Women's Open Tournament in Bangkok where she reached the finals after a string of good performances. She lost the finals to Vera Zvonareva 7–5, 6–1. She made the semis in doubles in the same tournament.
At the 2010 US Open – Women's Singles Qualifying where she won three straight matches. She defeated Ksenia Lykina, Elena Bovina, Catalina Castaño to qualify for the main draw. In main draw she defeated qualifier Michelle Larcher De Brito 6–3,6–2. In next round she went down to 20th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6–2,6–4.
In October, she represented India at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, as the 2nd seed. She defeated Brittany Teei, Marina Erakovic, and Olivia Rogowska before losing to Australia's Anastasia Rodionova in the final. In doubles, she partnered with India's Rushmi Chakravarthi, losing in the semifinals to Anastasia Rodionova and Sally Peers. Then for the Bronze Medal match, Mirza and Rushmi Chakravarthi beat fellow Indians Poojashree Venkatesha and Nirupama Sanjeev.
In November, she represented India at the 2010 Asian Games. The unseeded Indian defeated Venise Wing Yau Chan in first round. Next she defeated 6th seed Shuai Zhang in straight sets 6–2,6–2 to enter into quarterfinal. In quarterfinal Mirza won against 2nd seed Tamarine Tanasugarn 6–2,6–3 to move in semi final, where she went down fighting to 3rd seed Akgul Amanmuradova 7–6(7),3–6,4–6 and won Bronze Medal in singles. In Mixed Doubles she partnered with Vishnu Vardhan losing in the finals to Yung-Jan Chan and Tsung-Hua Yang, win Silver Medal.
Starting with World no. 141, in 2011, she competed at the 2011 Australian Open – Women's Singles Qualifying where she won three straight matches to qualify for the main draw. In the first round she went down fighting to former world no. 1 Justine Henin 5–7,6–3,6–1. She partnerd Voracova for doubles but lost in the first round also.
Mirza breezed through the first round of 2011 French Open where she beat Kristina Barrois of Germany in straight sets, 6–3,6–3. Then in Round 2, she went down fighting 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, 2–6, 4–6.
For mixed doubles, she has partnered fellow Indian Rohan Bopanna and the pair faced Chuang Chia-jung (Chinese Taipei) and Marcin Matkowski (Poland) in the first round, and they lost 7–6(4), 7–6(2).
In 2004 she was awarded the Arjuna award by the Indian Government. In 2006, Mirza was awarded a Padma Shri, India's fourth highest honor for her achievements as a tennis player.
Sania Mirza made more money playing tennis than him and still does. Wife ki kamai pe aish kar raha hai.
