Sania-Alisa pair lifts Wimbledon girls doubles title

Monday, 17 December 2007

Sania Mirza became the first-ever Indian girl to have won a Grand Slam title when she triumphed in the girls' doubles event at Wimbledon on Sunday, partnering Alisa Kleybanova of Russia. Mirza and Kleybanova lost the first set to the pair of Katerina Bohmova of Czech Republic and Michaela Krajicek of the Netherlands before rallying to comfortably take the next two sets for a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory in the final. The 16-year-old Sania, ranked world number 10 among junior girls, got her revenge for the defeat Bohmova and Krajicek inflicted on her in the semi-finals of the French Open last month when she partnered compatriot Sanaa Bhambri. Earlier, the pair battled their way into the final of the girls' doubles beating Ally Baker and Iris Ichim of the United States. The Indo-Russian pair, who had beaten Emma Laine of Finland and Nadja Pavic of Crotia 6-1, 6-2 in the quarter-finals, won their semi-final match 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. It was after a gap of 51 years that an Indian girl was playing in the final of a Grand Slam, the last being Rita Dabur, who had finished runner-up in singles event in 1952.

 

< Prev