Former doubles No 1 tennis player Sania Mirza ended her Grand Slam career with 7-6, 6-2 loss in the Australian Open mixed double's final with compatriot Rohan Bopanna against the Brazilian pair of Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos.
Mirza was a trailblazer for Tennis in India. Blessed with a vicious forehand Mirza went on to win six Grand Slam titles in doubles and mixed doubles events, three in each event. She won 43 doubles titles and spent 91 weeks at No.1.
Talking after her hearbreaking loss in the final Sania said: "If I cry, these are happy tears. I'm still going to play a couple more tournaments, but my career started in Melbourne in 2005, when I played Serena as an 18-year-old. Rod Laver Arena has been really special place. I couldn't think of a better arena to finish my last Grand Slam."
Netizens and fans praised the Hyderabad born superstar and mother of one for being an inspiration not just on her own country but to all young girls across the World in sport.
(To receive our E-paper on WhatsApp daily, please click here.  To receive it on Telegram, please click here. We permit sharing of the paper's PDF on WhatsApp and other social media platforms.)
