London: Indian tennis legend Sania Mirza recorded best ever finish at the world’s oldest Grand Slam ended after she and her Croatian partner Mate Pavic lost in the Wimbledon mixed doubles semifinals to defending champions.
Sania and Pavic went down to the British-American pair of Neal Skupski and Desirae Krawczyk 6-4, 5-7, 4-6 on Wednesday.
This was Mirza’s first Wimbledon semifinals in the mixed doubles. She was knocked out in the quarters thrice (2011, 2013 and 2015).
The 35-year-old Indian, who is a six-time Grand Slam champion, won three mixed doubles majors — 2009 Australian Open, 2012 French Open and the 2014 US Open.
In 2003, then 17-year-old Mirza, won the Wimbledon girl’s doubles title with Russia’s Alisa Kleybanova, becoming the first Indian female tennis player to win a Grand Slam of any kind.
“This is where it all started for me in 2003. That was the beginning of the big things for me. This is the biggest stage of tennis,” Olympics.com quoted Mirza as saying.
“I am going to miss Wimbledon but I think it is time to move on. There are things in life that take priority over playing tennis matches and I am at that stage now,” she added.
After the opening-round loss in the women’s doubles event at the Australian Open in January, the Indian ace announced her retirement saying that 2022 season will be her last.
