This year, the Wimbledon was all about Swiss Miss- Martina Hingis and Indian bliss- Sania Mirza and Leander Paes!
A true tennis fan in India can at this point be easily recognised by the following: droopy eyes, dark circles, other indicators of sleep deprivation, and of course, a wide grin!
The only thing missing this weekend was beauty sleep, because excitement, suspense and celebration were all there. There was a cake with delicious icing and two cherries on the top.
On Saturday night, Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis won the Ladies’ Doubles final, and on Sunday night, Martina Hingis and Leander Paes followed this up with the victory in the Mixed Doubles final!
The Ladies’ Doubles Final: Mirza & Hingis vs Elena Vesnina & Ekaterina Makarova-
Mirza and Hingis were struggling in the beginning and dropped the first set. Only towards the end of the second set did they pick up, and then again towards the end of the third. There were evident nerves and high amount of tension in a match that could have gone either way. But they pulled through and won 5 straight games to emerge winners. The final score: 5-7 7-6 7-5.
Sania Mirza
- This was her first Wimbledon title.
- It is also her first Doubles Grand Slam title.
- She has now won each of the four Grand Slams exactly once.
The Mixed Doubles Final: Paes & Hingis vs Alexander Peya & Timea Babos-
Paes and Hingis dominated the match all along. They played unbelievable tennis and finished the match in straight sets and 40 odd minutes. Their opponents didn’t quite know what had hit them, and well even if they did, there was not much they could have done. With this quality of tennis, there is absolutely no question of retirement for either of the two! The final score: 6-1 6-1.
Leander Paes
- This was his fifth Wimbledon title.
- He has now won a total of 16 Grand Slams.
Sumit Nagal
Another delight for Indian fans came courtesy of Sumit Nagal. He, along with his partner Nam Hoang Ly, won the Boys’ Doubles title. This is the first glimpse of the seemingly bright future of Indian tennis!
In other news aka obligatory news update:
- In the Gentlemen’s Singles, Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer 7-6 6-7 6-4 6-3 to defend his Wimbledon title and win his third overall. Initially there was little separating the two. The spectators at Centre Court got their money’s worth, watching two legends of the game playing incredible tennis.
- In the Ladies’ Singles, Serena Williams beat Garbine Muruguza 6-4 6-4 to win her 6th Grand Slam title. It may have been straight sets, but trust me, the score doesn’t tell the real story for this one; it wasn’t nearly as one-sided as it may seem. So in case you didn’t get to see it, don’t jump to any conclusions too soon.
- In the Gentlemens’ Doubles, the pairing of Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau beat the pair of John Peers and Jamie Murray (Andy Murray’s brother) 7-6 6-4 6-4 in straight sets, to win the title; well deserved.
Although there can always be only one winner on paper, when the players walk off Centre Court, everyone is happy. Winning and losing is just part and parcel of the game.
Even though they may not be the one lifting the cup, there is always a sense of achievement and pride. The blood sweat and tears paid off. Fans leave with smiles and athletes with their heads held high.
That’s it from The Championships then! More tennis action coming up in the fall!
