By IANS,
Mumbai : India’s star tennis player Sania Mirza said Monday that winning the Australian Open mixed doubles title with Mahesh Bhupathi was the best way she could make a comeback in the international circuit.
The duo was give a rousing welcome at the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Monday after they became the first Indian pair to win a Grand Slam mixed doubles.
“It is very special to win your first Grand Slam. After the injury it is a great way to come back. I am just living in the moment for now,” said Sania.
For Sania, who was making a comeback from a wrist injury, it was her maiden Grand Slam title and also the first by an Indian woman. The injury forced the 22-year-old Hyderabadi out of international circuit for most part of 2008 and she was out of top-100 in singles rankings.
Sania had also won the junior girls doubles at Wimbledon in 2003 with Russian Alisa Kleybanova.
For Bhupathi it was his 11th Grand Slam and seventh mixed doubles title. “We played very well. We are excited and happy to come home for some rest. Yes, definitely we will continue this pair,” he said.
The 34-year-old Bhupathi also finished runners-up in the men’s doubles with Mark Knowles of the Bahamas. They lost the title clash to Bob and Mike Bryan of the US.