Sania Mirza, Barbora Strycova lose out in Miami Open final

Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and her Czech partner Barbora Strycova were stunned by unseeded giantkillers Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada and Xu Yifan from China in the women’s doubles summit clash of the Miami Open here.

Sania and Strycova, aiming for their third title together, lost 4-6 3-6 in a match that lasted little over an hour.

Before this tournament, she and Dabrowski had never been on the same court for a match—as partners or opponents—but practiced together at the BNP Paribas Open.

Prior to the final, Dabrowski and Yifan had knocked out eighth seeds Abigail Spears and Katarina Srebotnik besides upsetting three of the top-four seeds in succession.

Down a break to start the match, Dabrowski and Xu took eight of the next nine games to lead by a set and 4-1. They served the title out to win their first Premier Mandatory title.