Robbed of pace, Sania bows out in 2nd round

When the two exchanged their courtesy goodbyes in Paris recently, Sania Mirza had offered advice to the Frenchwoman Camille Pin on her first...

When the two exchanged their courtesy goodbyes in Paris recently, Sania Mirza had offered advice to the Frenchwoman Camille Pin on her first visit to Bangalore: about flights and such.

On Wednesday at the KSLTA, Pin used the lob to devastating effect, dispatching Mirza 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 in the second round. After Tatiana Golovin at Paris, Pin was the second Frenchwoman to evict her, this time in her own backyard, in the Bangalore Open.

Mirza, accustomed to matching scorching groundstrokes against equally strong opponents on the tour, was frustrated into waiting for the high-balls to land. Pin took pace and power out of the equation and dragged the Indian into a hopeless lobbing play-off.

Leading 5-1 in the first set, Mirza8217;s forehands were going strong till an elbow sprain messed up her rhythm and she stretched the set-clincher to seven deuce, before serving out. The elbow later restricted her high-retrieving in front court and Pin made the best of the opportunity.

Defending all over, and all the time, Pin repeatedly pushed Mirza back, well beyond her baseline, from where she had detected the Indian8217;s vulnerability to clear the net.

Running around a lot herself, keeping the ball in play, the defence specialist mixed that ploy smartly with the high lob. Mirza8217;s backcourt game crumbled and the errors stacked up. The frustration was palpable when, while defending a set point, Mirza had the entire court to herself, but still hit out.

The shift in momentum didn8217;t go down well with the Indian. In the third set Mirza was at her erratic worst. With each subsequent drooping ball that Pin now plotted on purpose, Mirza8217;s fortunes plummeted.

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From 3-3 in Set No. 3, Mirza did nothing right, and Pin with her wily tactics sent the local favourite out. Earlier, second seed Shahar Peer made an early exit as well, going down tamely to Maria Elena Camerin 6-4, 6-2.

Shivani Naik

Shivani Naik is a senior sports journalist and Assistant Editor at The Indian Express. She is widely considered one of the leading voices in Indian Olympic sports journalism, particularly known for her deep expertise in badminton, wrestling, and basketball. Professional Profile Role: Assistant Editor and Columnist at The Indian Express. Specialization: While she covers a variety of sports, she is the primary authority on badminton for the publication. She also writes extensively about tennis, track and field, wrestling, and gymnastics. Writing Style: Her work is characterized by "technical storytelling"—breaking down the biomechanics, tactics, and psychological grit of athletes. She often provides "long reads" that explore the personal journeys of athletes beyond the podium. Key Topics & Recent Coverage (Late 2025) Shivani Naik’s recent articles (as of December 2025) focus on the evolving landscape of Indian sports as athletes prepare for the 2026 Asian Games and beyond: Indian Badminton's "Hulks": She has recently written about a new generation of Indian shuttlers characterized by power and physicality, such as Ayush Shetty and Sathish Karunakaran, marking a shift from the traditionally finesse-based Indian style. PV Sindhu’s Resurgence: A significant portion of her late-2025 work tracks PV Sindhu’s tactical shifts under new coaching, focusing on her "sparkle" and technical tweaks to break out of career slumps. The "Group of Death": In December 2025, she provided detailed tactical previews for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty’s campaign in the BWF World Tour Finals. Tactical Deep Dives: She frequently explores technical trends, such as the rise of "backhand deception" in modern badminton and the importance of court drift management in international arenas. Legacy and History: She often revisits the careers of legends like Saina Nehwal and Syed Modi, providing historical context to current Indian successes. Notable Recent Articles BWF World Tour Finals: Satwik-Chirag have it all to do to get through proverbial Group of Death. (Dec 2025) The age of Hulks in Indian badminton is here. (Dec 2025) Treadmill, Yoganidra and building endurance: The themes that defined the resurgence of Gayatri and Treesa. (Dec 2025) Ayush Shetty beats Kodai Naraoka: Will 20-year-old be the headline act in 2026? (Nov 2025) Modern Cinderella tale – featuring An Se-young and a shoe that fits snugly. (Nov 2025) Other Sports Interests Beyond the court, Shivani is a passionate follower of South African cricket, sometimes writing emotional columns about her irrational support for the Proteas, which started because of love for Graeme Smith's dour and doughty Test playing style despite being a left-hander, and sustained over curiosity over their heartbreaking habit of losing ICC knockouts. You can follow her detailed analysis and columns on her official Indian Express profile page. ... Read More