Sania Mirza floats after fall

The second set was more even. Broken in the second game thanks to a double fault and an unforced error, Sania held the 4th before she returned a break in the 5th.

Having narrowed the gap, and all set to level terms, the sixth game saw disaster. Down 0-15, Sania tried to retrieve a ball played to her forehand but ended up twisting her right foot on the run.

She fell to the ground, the crowd fell silent, and for a moment you could hear a pin drop. Then she gathered herself and, limping to the sidelines, opted for a medical time-out.

When she returned 10 minutes later, she was greeted by a winner’s ovation. However, the setback clearly affected her rhythm as she committed several unforced errors. Down 2-3, she lost the incomplete 6th game and the next two and with it the set.

‘‘A lot of thoughts played on my mind; this is the end, another injury to another leg, what happens next’’, Sania later said.

It didn’t last, thankfully. The third set saw her back in the groove, beginning by breaking Zheng in the first, holding her own for love and pushing Zheng to five deuces before conceding her first game of the set.

It was effectively game over, though another minor glitch came about when the lights went on the blink.

Her strength was her natural winners, though she later said she’d have liked more backhand down the line winners.

And everyone thought she was injured.