Sania Mirza posts an emotional message on Instagram as 21-year Wimbledon journey ends

Bengaluru, July 7: India's campaign in Wimbledon 2022 ended after Sania Mirza and her her Czech partner Mate Pavic lost to the US-Britsih pair of Desirae Krawczyk and Neal Skupski 6-4, 5-7, 4-6 in the mixed doubles semifinal match on Wednesday.

Sania, for whom it is the last season on the circuit, after having decided to call it quits at the end of the year, it was a case of so near, yet so far as a Wimbledon title had been eluding her all the time and it will remain elusive forver in her career.

Sania and Pavic began on a bright note and took the first set, but Krawczyk and Skupski came back strong to restore parity in the second before prevailing in the decider in the match on Court 2 which lasted 2hrs and 16mins.

Sania Mirza, Mate Pavic enter Wimbledon mixed doubles semifinals after tough 3 set win

For Sania, her Wimbledon journey, which started at the junior level in 2001, has ended now after 21 long years.

After the loss, the Indian ace posted an emotional message on her Instagram account.

""Sport takes so much out of you .. Mentally , physically, emotionally.. The wins and the losses ..hours of hard work and sleepless nights after tough losses ???? But it gives you soooo much in return that not many other 'jobs' can give you and for which i am forever grateful for ????

The tears and the joy ,the fight and the struggle.. the work we put in is all worth it in the end ..it wasn't meant to be this time @wimbledon but you have been nothing but spectacular ???? it has been an honor to play here and win here over the last 20 years ..i will miss you ???? until we meet again...." Sania posted.

Sania, a former former world number 1 in women's doubles, won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open once each in the women's doubles event.

The 35-year-old had also won the Australian Open the French Open and the US Open once each in the mixed doubles event.

Krawczyk and Skupski will get the chance to defend their title against the all-Australian pair of Matthew Ebden and Samantha Stosur who beat the American pair of Jack Sock and Coco Gauff 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 in the other last-four encouter.

Sania and Pavec had defeated the fourth-seeded Canadian-Australian pair of Gabriela Dabrowski and John Peers 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in the quarterfinal match en route to reaching the last-four.

The sixth seeded pair reached the quarterfinals after their second round opponents Ivan Dodig and Latisha Chan gave a walkover.

Earlier, Sania and Pavic beat Spain's David Vega Hernandez and Georgia's Natela Dzalamidze 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3) in the first round.

But in the semifinals, Krawczyk and Skupski proved too good for them.

Sania and her Czech partner Lucie Hradecka had earlier lost in the opening round of women's doubles event.

Sania had announced in Jaunaury itself that that 2022 will be her last season since her body is wearing down and motivation and energy for the everyday grind is not the same anymore.

Married to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Mailik, Sania had returned to tennis after giving birth to her son in March 2019, but her progress was thwarted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.