The pressure was on the India-US pair from the very start of the match, when Bethany’s serve was at deuce seven times in the third game. The American made three double faults but saved her serve after saving three break points. Sania and Bethany also had opportunities to break the opponent’s serve when the American player missed a volley at the net.
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Left-hander Dzire then saved with a superb serve. Alexa served 15-30 with a forehand out in the 12th game to give the opposing pair two set points and Sania won the first set. In the second set, Sania and Bethany once again broke Alexa’s serve to take a 3-1 lead, after which the pair had no trouble winning the set and the match.
Ankita Raina will enter the field with American partner Lauren David on Thursday. This is the first time that two Indian women players will play in the main draw of a Grand Slam. Ankita is playing in her third consecutive Grand Slam tournament, having made her Grand Slam debut this year at the Australian Open.
Sania has represented India in Grand Slam tournaments since 2005. Earlier, Indian-American Shikha Oberoi qualified for the US Open women’s singles in 2004 and won her first-round match against Japan’s Saori Obata but lost to Venus Williams. After that, Shikha could not reach the main draw of the Grand Slam. Nirupama Vaidyanathan became the first women’s singles player to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam after making it to the Australian Open in 1998. Nirupama Mankad played mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 1971 with Anand Amritraj. undefined
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Tags: Sania Mirza, tennis, Wimbledon 2021
First Published: July 01, 2021, 18:23 IST
