Sania Mirza plans Hajj pilgrimage, focuses on spiritual journey
Sania Mirza announces her upcoming pilgrimage to Hajj, embracing a spiritual journey while bidding farewell to her tennis career.
Three-time doubles Grand Slam winner Sania Mirza along with Nadiia Kichenok on Saturday defeated China’s Peng Shuai and Zhang Shuai in the women’s doubles final of Hobart International, making a sensational comeback into the tennis court after two years.
Earlier, Sania’s injuries put her out of the game and then she welcomed a son in October 2018.
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On Saturday, Mirza and Kichenok defeated the second-seeded Chinese duo 6-4, 6-4 in a rather one-sided contest which lasted one hour and 21 minutes.
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Post the win, India cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle congratulated Sania on her “magnificent comeback”.
“Well done Sania Mirza on your magnificent comeback. You make us proud,” tweeted Bhogle.
Well done @MirzaSania on your magnificent comeback. You make us proud.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 18, 2020
Meanwhile, Indian Women’s Hockey team skipper Rani Rampal, said: “Congratulations Sania Mirza di you are a big motivation for all of us.”
Congratulations @MirzaSania di you are a big motivation for all of us. https://t.co/dUNGs4JuOc
— Rani Rampal (@imranirampal) January 18, 2020
Former doubles No.1 Mirza and Kichenok defeated the second-seeded Chinese duo 6-4, 6-4 in a rather one-sided contest which lasted one hour and 21 minutes.
The Indo-Ukrainian pair were the first to break in each set, but ultimately needed to wrap up the match by delivering the deciding breaks late. The unseeded duo won the last three games of the opener, and eight of the last 10 points to seal victory, having nearly seen a double-break advantage slip away.
It is Mirza’s first WTA title in just over two years and 42nd of her storied doubles career, while Kichenok won her fifth, and first since partnering her twin sister, Lyudmyla, to win the WTA Elite Trophy Zhuhai in 2018.
Sania last won a trophy alongside Bethanie Mattek-Sands at the Brisbane International in the first week of the 2017 season, one of three doubles finals she reached that year before announcing her pregnancy in April of 2018.
(Stats and inputs from IANS)
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