Ask Sania Mirza about 2022 being her last year on the Tour at your own peril.
The Indian’s forehand might’ve flickered on the Margaret Court Arena in the mixed-doubles quarterfinals on Tuesday, but she let it rip in her post-match interactions.
Sania and American Rajeev Ram went down 4-6, 6-7 (5) to Aussie wildcard entrants Jaimee Fourlis and Jason Kubler in the last-eight of the Australian Open.
The stat of the match was the breakpoints — created and converted – in the 91-minute encounter. The Indo-American pairing had 11 opportunities and converted two, while the Aussies hit the button three of four times. Ram was broken in the opening game of the match and though they returned the favour in the sixth, the Indian fell behind 15-40 in the seventh. In the second set Sania and Ram led 4-1, but won just two of the next seven games.
“In Slams there is always one match when you don’t play well,” the 35-year-old said. “If you come through that match, you more often than not, end up winning it. We were good enough to create the opportunities, but we were not stringing them.”
She added: “When two out of the four players on court are not feeling great and they happen to be on the same side, it is tough to win the match.”
The Hyderabadi expressed regret in announcing her retirement decision so early in the year.
“I’m not content losing in the quarterfinals, I am here to win,” she said. “To just play because it is my last year is not acceptable, I feel I have a chance to win. This year, like any other year, I’m playing to win every single match.”
Sania said, “The amount of time I’m being asked this, I’m thinking of changing my mind, coming back (to Australia) again next year!”
Sania, who will partner American Shelby Rogers in Dubai and Doha (February), will fly out of Melbourne on Wednesday. After a couple of days, she’ll hit the practice courts again. “If I want to win, I have to work hard,” she said.
The Indian’s forehand might’ve flickered on the Margaret Court Arena in the mixed-doubles quarterfinals on Tuesday, but she let it rip in her post-match interactions.
Sania and American Rajeev Ram went down 4-6, 6-7 (5) to Aussie wildcard entrants Jaimee Fourlis and Jason Kubler in the last-eight of the Australian Open.
The stat of the match was the breakpoints — created and converted – in the 91-minute encounter. The Indo-American pairing had 11 opportunities and converted two, while the Aussies hit the button three of four times. Ram was broken in the opening game of the match and though they returned the favour in the sixth, the Indian fell behind 15-40 in the seventh. In the second set Sania and Ram led 4-1, but won just two of the next seven games.
“In Slams there is always one match when you don’t play well,” the 35-year-old said. “If you come through that match, you more often than not, end up winning it. We were good enough to create the opportunities, but we were not stringing them.”
She added: “When two out of the four players on court are not feeling great and they happen to be on the same side, it is tough to win the match.”
The Hyderabadi expressed regret in announcing her retirement decision so early in the year.
“I’m not content losing in the quarterfinals, I am here to win,” she said. “To just play because it is my last year is not acceptable, I feel I have a chance to win. This year, like any other year, I’m playing to win every single match.”
Sania said, “The amount of time I’m being asked this, I’m thinking of changing my mind, coming back (to Australia) again next year!”
Sania, who will partner American Shelby Rogers in Dubai and Doha (February), will fly out of Melbourne on Wednesday. After a couple of days, she’ll hit the practice courts again. “If I want to win, I have to work hard,” she said.