Sunday, July 06, 2003
Wimbledon and India
This has been the most amazing Wimbledon for India -- three Indians playing the finals and two of them going on to win. First, Sania Mirza partnered with Alisa Kleybanova to win the girls doubles. Then Leander Paes partnered with Martina Navratilova to win the mixed doubles event, handing Martina her record-equalling 20th Wimbledon title. As Leander said, "For this little kid from India it was a dream to be on Center Court and when I was seven, eight years old, I watched Martina play and she really inspired me to be out here so today. For me to be on Center Court with a true legend of our sport and to win is a dream come true."
The only downside (if you can call it that) was top-seeds Mahesh Bhupati and Max Mirnyi's loss to Bjorkman and Woodbridge in the men's doubles. If anyone had told me back in 1986, when I first started watching Wimbldeon on TV, that three Indians would play in Wimbledon finals and two of them would go on to win, I'd probably have laughed. How things change!
The only downside (if you can call it that) was top-seeds Mahesh Bhupati and Max Mirnyi's loss to Bjorkman and Woodbridge in the men's doubles. If anyone had told me back in 1986, when I first started watching Wimbldeon on TV, that three Indians would play in Wimbledon finals and two of them would go on to win, I'd probably have laughed. How things change!
