Sania Mirza Comeback (2020-22). Retired 2023

A new subforum created to discuss Sania Mirza. As a lot of the other tennis player threads were getting overloaded, thus a new forum to discuss Sania Mirza

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Sania Mirza Comeback (2020-22). Retired 2023

Post by jaydeep »

Sania Mirza confirmed that she will be back in competitive tennis at Hobart International in January 2020, two years after taking a maternity break ... She will play at Hobart International in January with Ukraine's Nadiia Kichenok and in the 2020 Australian Open mixed doubles with American Rajeev Ram.

Sania Mirza Set for Return to Tennis at Hobart International, 2 Years After Izhaan's Birth
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Re: Sania Mirza Comeback (2020-22). Retired 2023

Post by S_K_S »

Pretty impressive feat to get Ram as a partner for the AO after such a long time out
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Re: Sania Mirza Comeback (2020-22). Retired 2023

Post by PKBasu »

Smart decision by Rajeev Ram to partner Sania. They could be title contenders at the AO.

It is confirmed that Sania is playing next week at the Hobart International (although, unfortunately, the former world #1 hasn't been given a wildcard):
https://www.wtatennis.com/news/1559555/ ... les-return

Her partner Nadiia Kichenok (UKR, 37) has a sister (Lyudmila) ranked 39 in doubles!
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Re: Sania Mirza Comeback (2020-22). Retired 2023

Post by PKBasu »

Sania/Nadiia play Oksana Kalashnikova/Miyu Kato in R1 at the Hobart International. That should be a relatively easy win if our pair gels.
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Re: Sania Mirza Comeback (2020-22). Retired 2023

Post by PKBasu »

Sania/Nadiia play Oksana Kalashnikova/Miyu Kato in R1 at the Hobart International. That should be a relatively easy win if our pair gels.

R2 (QF) is slated to be against fourth seeded Spanish pair Georgina Garcia Perez/Sara Sorribes Tormo (combined ranking 127). That shouldn't be too difficult either. Nice way to ease back into tournament play.
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Re: Sania Mirza Comeback (2020-22). Retired 2023

Post by PKBasu »

Sania’s comeback match has begun. Easy hold of serve, followed by a game in which Sania/Nadiia had two BP opportunities but couldn’t capitalise. 1-1 in the first set.
Last edited by PKBasu on Tue Jan 14, 2020 1:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Sania Mirza Comeback (2020-22). Retired 2023

Post by PKBasu »

Our pair were up 40-30, but got broken (losing the next 2 points, given that doubles uses deuce as a game point outside the Slams). 1-2

Opponents hold at 30. 1-3.
Our pair holds at 15. 2-3
Our pair had 3 BPs but couldn’t convert. 2-4
Down 0-40, our pair saves 3 BPs but not the 4th. 2-5
First set lost 2-6 :(
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Re: Sania Mirza Comeback (2020-22). Retired 2023

Post by PKBasu »

Our pair were broken in the first game of the 2nd set, but broke back immediately. 2-6, 1-1
Our pair hold at 30. 2-1
Our pair breaks at 15. 3-1
Our pair are broken at deuce (after being up 40-30). 3-2
Our pair break again, at 15. 4-2
Our pair save 2 BPs, and hold! 2-6, 5-2
Opponents hold at 15. 5-3
Our pair is broken at deuce :( 5-4
Opponents hold at deuce. 5-5
Each pair holds at 30. 6-6
Sania-Nadiia race to 6-2 in the TB, but concede a mini break in set point. Then gain a mini break to win the TB 7-3, making it 1 set all. 2-6, 7-6(3)
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Re: Sania Mirza Comeback (2020-22). Retired 2023

Post by PKBasu »

67 points to Sania/Nadiia vs 63 for opponents, but our pair have played the Deuce points poorly.
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Re: Sania Mirza Comeback (2020-22). Retired 2023

Post by PKBasu »

Early mini break in STB. 2-0, then 3-1 (our pair up). 5-1!
Give back a mini break. 5-2
Gain 2 more minibreaks! 7-2, then 8-3.
9-3, six match points! 10-3 Victory!!

Sania/Nadiia win 26 76(3) 10-3.

Sania Mirza is back!!!
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Re: Sania Mirza Comeback (2020-22). Retired 2023

Post by PKBasu »

The 4th seeds were knocked out by Vania King and Christina McHale of the US, who will now meet Sania/Nadiia in the QF (likely on Thursday).
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Re: Sania Mirza Comeback (2020-22). Retired 2023

Post by PKBasu »

The comeback continues on a smooth track!

[QF] Sania Mirza (IND) /Nadiia Kichenok (UKR) d. Vania King/Christina McHale (USA/USA) 62 46 10-4
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Re: Sania Mirza Comeback (2020-22). Retired 2023

Post by jaydeep »

Another fighting win ... Next, they r facing Bouzkova and Zidansek.

At $252K Hobart International 2020, Australia

[SF] Nadiia Kichenok (UKR)/ Sania Mirza (IND) vs Marie Bouzkova (CZE)/ Tamara Zidansek (SLO)
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Re: Sania Mirza Comeback (2020-22). Retired 2023

Post by PKBasu »

With those two matches (110 points), Sania is already back in the top-500 of WTA doubles rankings! Winning the title this week will take her to around 265. But she will need 860 points (3 titles like Hobart, plus another match win somewhere) to make top-100. Quite a climb still ahead.
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Re: Sania Mirza Comeback (2020-22). Retired 2023

Post by PKBasu »

Sania is through to the final in her comeback tournament:

[SF] Nadiia Kichenok (UKR)/ Sania Mirza (IND) d. Marie Bouzkova (CZE)/ Tamara Zidansek (SLO) 76(3) 62
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