Another disappointing fourth

Sania-Bopanna lose to Czech pair of Stepanek-Hradecka in bronze-medal tie

A medal remained a mirage for India in Olympic Games tennis as Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza lost their bronze play-off to Radek Stepanek and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic on Sunday.

Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram of the United States had halted Bopanna and Sania in the semifinals 6-2, 2-6, 10-3 on Saturday night, sending them to the bronze medal match against the Czechs.

The Indian duo seemed to be still in shock from that loss as the Czechs seized control early and despite a second set wobble, they proved too good in the end, winning 6-1, 7-5.

Sania and Bopanna made a poor start and never recovered in the first set. Stepanek was sharp with his serves and volleys while Hradecka provided solid support at the back.

Both the Indians lost their service games and quickly, they were staring at a 0-5 scoreline.

They avoided a whitewash with Bopanna saving two breakpoints to hold on in the sixth game but with Hradecka serving out the set in 27 minutes, the Indians were called upon to stage a recovery act in the second.

Bopanna was broken early in the first game but the Indian pair fought back, breaking the Stepanek serve in the second and Hradecka in the fourth for a 3-1 lead. But the Czechs immediately broke back and soon, they were on level terms.

The crucial moment came in the 11th game when Sania double faulted two times. Stepanek seized the moment with excellent returns and when Bopanna put a return long, the Czechs had effected a vital breakthrough. Hradecka then served out the set without fuss, triggering some wild celebration from her partner.

On Saturday, former world number one Venus revealed her championship class to dash India’s chances to gun for gold, after waking up from a first set slumber. In the other semis, Jack Sock and Bethanie Mattek-Sands beat Stepanek and Hradecka 6-4, 7-6 (3).

A spot in the final and a fight for the gold seemed there for the taking for Bopanna and Sania after they raced through the first set, breaching Venus’ serve two times. The American pair was made to look pretty ordinary as the Indians combined superbly.

But the five-time Grand Slam singles champion raised her level in the second set and with errors creeping in by the handful in the Indian game, the turnaround was dramatic and swift, the result barely palatable to the Indians.

Venus, who also has 14 Grand Slam doubles titles and two in mixed doubles, showed her wealth of experience in the second set, serving and returning well, and whipping winners with fine placements as the Indians wilted. Breaching Sania’s serve two times, the Americans drew level.

The momentum had changed completely by then. The super tie-break was a tale of Indian errors. Venus and Ram seized their chances with both hands and a quick demolition act followed. Before the Indians realised what had hit them, they were down six match points at 3-9 and as a Sania return went wide, Venus leapt up in sheer joy.