Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna lost the bronze medal match in mixed doubles tennis to the Czech pairing of Radek Stepanek and Lucie Hradecka 1-6 5-7 on Sunday at the 2016 Olympics.
The Indians had a shocker of a first set as Radek Stepanek kept attacking the weak first serves, dispatching them with ease.
Bopanna, in particular, was unable to sustain any momentum as he was unable to hold his service and struggled with his returns as well. Stepanek proved too difficult to handle as he beat Bopanna at the net several times. Mirza's trademark forehand did not fire as usual either, as the Czech pair waltzed through the first set.
The second set started in a similar fashion as three double faults by Bopanna resulted in a break of serve. Mirza and Bopanna increased the pressure on Hradecka, breaking her serve, resulting in a lead of 3-1.
The lead was short-lived as Bopanna was broken a third time. Thankfully for the Indian duo, Sania was able to hold a serve as the second set seemed finely balanced at 4-4.
But Sania's serve was broken in the 11th game of the set to make it 6-5 for Hradecka to serve it out for the match. Hradecka then kept her nerve as the Czechs won bronze.
