Wimbledon: Sania Mirza, Hingis reach women’s doubles final

The 42-year-old Paes has won the mixed doubles title here thrice before.

London: It was a brilliant day for Indian tennis aces Leander Paes and Sania Mirza as both entered the finals at the prestigious Wimbledon in their respective categories but with the same partner, Swiss veteran Martina Hingis, here on Friday. The top seeds hit one ace, six winners and saved three out of three break points to emerge victorious.

Sania had reached the final of a women’s doubles Grand Slam final only second time in her career, having ended runners-up at the 2011 French Open with Russian partner Elena Vesnina. Earlier this year, she and Paes took home the Australian Open trophy.

Unlike the mixed doubles, the gentlemen’s doubles matches are five-set affairs, which are becoming increasingly harder for players like Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, both on the wrong side of 40.

Much earlier, Indian-Vietnamese eighth seeds Sumit Nagal and Nam Hoang Ly defeated local pair Jonathan Gray and Ewan Moore 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 37 minutes to progress to the boys’ doubles quarterfinals.

Game 10 – Indians get the pivotal first point but a solid serve has the game tied at 15-15.

“It takes guts and courage being 5-2 down in the third set”.

The final weekend of Wimbledon is upon us and it looks like India’s chances of winning a title depend largely on the ex- world number one, Martina Hingis.

Even better, she will play in a couple; there will be two nostalgia trips for the fan club of this ex- ladies’ singles champion and women’s doubles victor.

12 years after turning Pro, 28-year-old Sania laid hands on her first women’s doubles Major title when she and Hingis battled past second seed Russian team of Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 5-7 7-6(4) 7-5 in a thrilling final.

The Swiss star returned to tennis in recent years as a coach and now is back playing, perhaps with an eye toward competing at next year’s Rio Olympics.

Serena Williams is back on serve in the Wimbledon final.

The chair umpire for the women’s final at Wimbledon will be Alison Hughes. The following summer, she ran into Graf again, this time in the fourth round, and again was beaten.

The duke is the president of the All England Club.

Muguruza, a Spaniard seeded 20th at Wimbledon, is playing in a major semifinal for the first time.