Adelaide: Indian tennis player Sania Mirza and her Ukrainian partner Nadiia Kichenok crashed out of the women’s doubles semi-finals at the Adelaide International on Friday. Australia’s Ashleigh Barty and Storm Sanders defeated the Sania-Nadiia pair 6-1, 2-6, 10-8 in a high-intensity match.
The Indo-Ukrain duo was not in control in the first set losing 6-1 in haste. However, Sania-Nadiia came back strongly in the second set, winning it 6-2 in quick succession. In the super tie-break, the Sania-Nadiia pair lost momentum in the final few points, losing it 10-8.
Earlier, Sania and Nadiia had defeated American Shelby Rogers and Heather Watson of Great Britain 6-0, 1-6, 10-5 in a quarter-final clash that lasted for 55 minutes.
In the first round, the Indo-Ukrainian pair had prevailed over second seeds Gabriella Dabrowski and Giuliana Olmos 1-6, 6-3, 10-8. The Adelaide International is being played before the start of the Australian Open on January 17 in Melbourne.
IANS