Sania Mirza and her partner Barbora Strycova were stunned by unseeded Japanese pair Eri Hozumi and Miyu Kato in the Australian Open third round 3-6, 6-2, 2-6 on Sunday.
The Indio-Czech pair were rusty throughout the contest, barring a brief surge in the second set. The Hozumi-Kato duo combined better and severely punished Mirza and Strycova at the baseline with their cross-court returns.
Mirza had a forgettable first set. She was culpable of making a couple of double-faults. The No. 4 seeds were broken four times. At set point, Hozumi and Kato showed nerves and there were nine games from deuce before they clinched the first set, 6-3.
Mirza and Strycova got their groove back in the second set, slamming 17 winners. Strycova’s game at the net proved to be a major catalyst in the match going into the third set.
The young Japanese pair continued to keep the pressure on their opponents through strong returns. Kato was comfortably getting the better of Strycova on the blindside. Unlike the first set, there were no jitters at match-point for Hosumi and Kato, who unarguably pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the tournament so far.