Australian Open: Sania Mirza left teary-eyed during emotional farewell speech
Melbourne: Indian tennis star Sania Mirza turned emotional as she bid farewell to the Australian Open at the Rod Laver Arena on Friday.
Mirza, who recently declared her retirement from professional tennis, and Rohan Bopanna went down in the final of the mixed doubles event of Australian Open on Friday. In the match lasting 1 hour and 27 minutes, the duo lost 6-7(2), 2-6 to the Brazilian pair Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos, reports News18.
Speaking to the tournament organizers after the match, a teary-eyed Mirza said, “I’m still gonna play a couple more tournaments but the journey of my professional career started in Melbourne. It started in Melbourne in 2005 when I played Serena Williams in the third round here as an 18-year-old.”
Reminiscing her relationship with the Rod Laver stadium, she added, “I’ve had the privilege to come back here again and again and win some tournaments here and play some great final amongst you all, and Rod Laver Arena has really been special in my life. And I couldn’t think of a better arena to finish my career at in a Grand Slam. So thank you so much for making me feel at home here.”
The presence of her son Izhaan along with family and friends apparently made the occasion sweeter for her.
“I never thought I’d be able to play in front of my child in a Grand Slam final, so it’s truly special for me, to have my four-year-old here and my parents here, and Rohan’s wife, my trainers, my family in Australia who made me feel like home away from home,” Mirza said.
She had earlier announced that the Dubai WTA event in February would be her swansong.
Mirza, who has six Grand Slam titles to her name – three in women’s doubles and three in mixed doubles – in her career, won her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in 2009, with Mahesh Bhupathi. She also won the 2012 French Open mixed doubles title with Bhupathi and 2014 US Open mixed doubles with Brazilian player Bruno Soares.
All her three women’s doubles titles were with Swiss tennis ace Martina Hingis – Wimbledon 2015, US Open 2015 and Australian Open 2016.
“My professional career started in Melbourne… I couldn’t think of a better arena to finish my [Grand Slam] career at.”
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2023
We love you, Sania ❤️@MirzaSania • #AusOpen • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/E0dNogh1d0
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21 cops injured in violence during demolition drive at Nashik dargah; 15 persons held
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Nashik (PTI): Twenty one police personnel were injured and three police vehicles damaged when a mob attacked them while opposing the demolition of an unauthorised dargah in Maharashtra's Nashik city, officials said on Wednesday.
The incident took place late Tuesday night and police resorted to lathi-charge and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the mob and brought the situation under control, they said, adding 15 persons have been detained in connection with the violence.
The injured police personnel were on security duty during the anti-encroachment drive at the spot when the incident occurred.
The situation is currently peaceful, a senior police official said.
At around 6 am on Wednesday, the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) personnel removed the unauthorised Satpeer Baba Dargah located in Kathe Galli area of the city, following an order of the Bombay High Court, the police said.
"As per the HC order, the Satpeer Dargah trustees started the process of removing the structure on Tuesday night. A violent mob gathered to oppose the removal and pelted stones at police and Muslim leaders who went to pacify the protesters," Nashik Commissioner of Police Sandeep Karnik said.
"Police resorted to lathi-charge and lobbed teargas shells to disperse the mob and brought the situation under control. Three police vehicles were damaged and 21 police personnel injured in the attack. The dargah was demolished in the morning and the process to file an FIR and arrest (those involved in the violence) is on," he said.
At around 11.30 pm on Tuesday, the trustees had reached the spot to remove the encroachment and started the work.
At that time, a mob of miscreants gathered at Usmania Chowk near the structure. They did not listen to the dargah trustees and other people who went to pacify them, DCP Kirankumar Chavan said.
"Police officials present at the place also tried to pacify them, but they did not listen to them. The miscreants pelted stones and damaged some vehicles. Mild force was used to control them," he said.
"As many as 15 persons have been detained and 57 motorcycles belonging to suspects have been seized. The situation is peaceful and under control at present," Chavan said.
Nearly 50 NMC personnel were engaged in the anti-encroachment drive at the dargah on Wednesday morning, which was carried out using four earth-excavators, six trucks and two dumpers, as per civic officials.
Notably, several unauthorised structures near the dargah were removed by the civic body’s anti-encroachment team in February this year.
However, a section of local residents and members of Hindu outfits who then gathered at the site said the dargah itself was unauthorised and must be removed.
Nashik Central MLA Devyani Pharande had also said the NMC’s anti-encroachment drive in February was not complete and the entire site should be cleared.
