The all-Indian mixed doubles pair of Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna went down 11-9 in a thrilling third-round match at Wimbledon on Wednesday.
With the first set having been played on Tuesday but suspended due to rain, the contest resumed with the 14th seeded pair of Jean Julien-Roger and Andreja Klepac having a one-set lead. The Indians grabbed the second set by the same margin but the seeds ended up winning 6-3, 3-6, 11-9. With this defeat India’s challenge came to an end at the grass court Grand Slam.
Rohan Bopanna stayed solid with his service games and net play but Sania Mirza’s serve was consistently put under pressure in the decider.
Serving to stay in the match at 5-6 in the decider, Mirza managed to hold after a few anxious moments.
It was largely Bopanna’s reflexes at the net and a solid game from the baseline apart from a superb lob from Mirza that helped the Indians pull off the game after two deuce.
Mirza again served in a similar situation at 9-10. Roger hit a crushing forehand winner at 15-15 and then Bopanna’s volley sailed over the baseline.
The Dutch player, on the second match point, then executed a stunning service winner, that whizzed past from Bopanna’s right side.
It was Mirza’s last tournament before the Tokyo Olympics where she will compete in the women’s doubles with Ankita Raina.
With PTI Inputs