Melbourne: Sania Mirza’s first Grand Slam outing after maternity leave ended with an early exit as the Indian ace retired mid-way into her women’s doubles first-round match due to a calf injury, here on Thursday.
Sania and her Ukrainian partner Nadiia Kichenok, who came into the major after winning the doubles title at the Hobart International, were trailing 2-6 0-1 against the Chinese team of Xinyun Han and Lin Zhu when the Indian called it quits.
Sania has injured her leg during practice. She is returning to the circuit after a two-year break. Her right calf strapped heavily, Sania struggled to move freely on the court. It also affected her serve. Kichenok was also struggling at the net, often missing easy put-away volleys. (PTI)
