Sania Mirza loses in women's singles final, gets silver

In the end, she flattered only to deceive. Indian tennis diva Sania Mirza played her best game of the week but eventually went down to Australian top seed Anastasia Rodionova in a gruelling three-setter 3-6 6-2 6-7 (3) in the gold medal match of the Commonwealth Games at the RK Khanna Tennis Stadium here on Saturday.

Cheered on by a hugely partisan crowd, seldom seen before in India for a women’s singles match, Mirza did phenomenally well to save four match points during regulation play in the third set only to fall tamely in a deciding tiebreak 3-7.

Sania had stressed on the importance of getting her first serves right, the area in which she has failed miserably throughout the week. But her serves failed to trouble Rodionova at all, who was quick to convert five out of the seven break points that came her way, thus breaking all of Sania’s serves in the opening set.

“It has been a trouble of late. But I am happy with the way I played. Representing the country always feels good and to win a medal is even better. A gold would have been better though,” Sania said.

The Hyderabadi has shown tremendous fighting spirit throughout the tournament, often making heroic come backs when being pushed to the wall. She did it once again on Saturday, turning the tables remarkably in the second set. Fending off a frenzied crowd, Sania was no longer trying to hit winners on the run, but was instead dictating play by stepping into the court and taking the ball on the rise.

Winners flew freely from both wings as the Indian power-hitter started finding the corners and keeping Rodionova constantly on the run. She raced through the second set 6-2 and the match was heading the distance.

“That moment, things were not going my way at all. The crowd was a bit daunting. But I kept my cool and hung in. It paid off in the end,” Rodionova said.

Sania carried the momentum into the third set. Both, Rodionova and Mirza,
were broken three times each, leaving the Australian leading 6-5. In the 11th game, Mirza defended four match points to hold her serve and force a tie-breaker.

With nothing to separate the two players after two hours on court, the match made its way into a deciding tiebreak. Sadly the breaker failed to live up to the drama that preceded it. Rodionova nudged ahead 4-2 at the change of ends and held on to her advantage to ease home 7-3 in the end.

“I have been trying really hard and now I feel I am a real Australian after winning the Commonwealth Games medal,” said the Russian-born Rodionova, who is ranked 67th in the world. In the all-Australian bronze medal contest, 4th seed Sally Peers edged out Olivia Rogowska 4-6 7-6 (2) 6-3.