Sania Mirza knocked Out in 2rd round in Wimbledon 2008
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Sania Mirza knocked Out in 2rd round in Wimbledon 2008
India's Sania Mirza crashed out of Wimbledon as her gutsy fightback against Spain's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez ended in a heartbreaking 0-6, 6-4, 7-9 defeat on Thursday. Mirza, the 32nd seed, lost the first eight games of the second round tie but recovered well enough to earn four match points in the final set. But with a first ever place in the Wimbledon last 32 within touching distance, the 21-year-old was unable to complete her remarkable revival. Martinez Sanchez eventually sneaked through to face either defending champion Venus Williams or Britain's Anne Keothavong. Mirza only returned to the tour two weeks ago after a three-month absence following surgery on her right wrist.
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She had also needed treatment for a back problem during her first round win over Catalina Castano. Martinez Sanchez, ranked 101st, was in the second round of a Grand Slam for the first time, but it was Mirza who struggled to find any rhythm at the start. She was broken three times to giftwrap the first set for her opponent. When a shell-shocked Mirza double faulted again to give Martinez Sanchez an early break in the second set, the match seemed to be heading for a quick conclusion. But Mirza finally stopped the rot by getting on the scoreboard in the ninth game. Suddenly Martinez Sanchez was wilting and Mirza, backed by huge Indian support on a packed Court 11, sensed an opportunity. Hitting with renewed authority she converted her fourth set point with a superb lob.
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Mirza broke in the second game of the final set but just as she had control, the Indian stumbled, with series of unforced errors giving Martinez Sanchez a quick break back. She kept pounding away from the baseline and broke again only for Martinez Sanchez to break back once more. Mirza had four match points on Martinez Sanchez's service, first at 5-4 and then three more at 6-5, but couldn't convert. She was made to pay for those misses as Martinez Sanchez broke for an 8-7 lead and then closed out a remarkable match.
