[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 4-6 Skupski/Krawczyk [2]: A set and a break up, playing some sublime groundstrokes. It all looked so good for Sania Mirza. But the defending champions come roaring back. The 3rd set was thrill-a-minute from all 4 players. There was a forehand service return by Sania Mirza today off an 115 mph serve from Neal Skupski. The arena was not yet full at that point, but you could hear the gasp on the broadcast. She’s still got it with that shot.
Sania’s Wimbledon journey comes to an end. Not to be a fairy tale finish at Wimbledon, but some tale. (Perhaps, there is still one celebratory moment left somewhere, the way she is playing.)
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 4-6 Skupski/Krawczyk [2]: A brilliant backhand return from Skupski and Pavic is not able to dig it over the net. Sania’s Wimbledon mixed doubles dream is over.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 4-5 Skupski/Krawczyk [2]: The 2nd match point for the defending champs now. And this time Pavic misses the first serve...
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 4-5 Skupski/Krawczyk [2]: That’s brilliant. Ace down the line. What a time. Deuce. Match point saved.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 4-5 Skupski/Krawczyk [2]: The second serve bails Pavic out once but not twice. Double fault, deuce. Then Sania misses an acute volley... MATCH POINT.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 4-5 Skupski/Krawczyk [2]: The defending champions have withstood pressure and now looking good. Pavic to serve to stay in the match... and down 0-30. But a couple of good serves... miscommunication between S/K. Back to 30-30. Mirza with a clutch volley and it is game point... but Sania is unable to put away two overheads and then makes an error! DEUCE.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 4-5 Skupski/Krawczyk [2]: A must-hold for Pavic and he starts off with a double fault!
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 4-5 Skupski/Krawczyk [2]: A missed overhead by Sania but that was all about Skupski’s serve. Superb stuff.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 4-4 Skupski/Krawczyk [2]: And Krawczyk, spare a though for her, playing her 6th set of the day! Holds serve too. And then Sania with a crucial, comfortable hold at 15.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 3-3 Skupski/Krawczyk [2]: A marathon service game for Skupski when he had to save a few break points, followed by a under-a-minute service hold of Pavic!
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 2-2 Skupski/Krawczyk [2]: Break points have come and gone! Skupski with a couple of big serves and he holds. Mirza/Pavic 1 out of 6 break points in this set.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 2-2 Skupski/Krawczyk [2]: Plenty of net chords in favour of the Brit-American pair. But now one in favour of Pavic and Mirza smiles... the luck turns a bit. But Skupski saves another break point. ACE! 5th deuce.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 2-2 Skupski/Krawczyk [2]: 4th deuce! On we go in this one.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 2-2 Skupski/Krawczyk [2]: What a stunning rally! At 2-2, 30-30... huge point from all four players. After that Sania return below, Pavic too makes a super return. More than 6 mins this game now as Skupski is struggling to hold serve.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 2-2 Skupski/Krawczyk [2]: Mirza unable to hold serve (she played a really good point in that game that Pavic wasn’t able to close out!) and suddenly everyone’s serve is under pressure. Another break of serve. Back on serve now.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 *2-1 Skupski/Krawczyk [2]: Mirza with a superb backhand winner and then two break points. And oh dear, oh dear, Pavic misses a backhand volley that he would make 9/10. Will they regret it? Nope, Sania with a superb deep forehand return and Skupski has crossed early. Krawczyk is broken!
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 1-1 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: Two break points saved in that game by Pavic-Mirza.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 1-1 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: Well Pavic took the scenic route to hold serve. Finally some momentum and energy and intensity from the sixth seeds after a while. I tweeted “Second set gone, crowd in to support Skupski, Pavic struggling to control at the net.. it’s not looking for the India-Croatia pair at the moment” and immediately after Pavic plays one of the points of the match at the net and holds serve not long after.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 0-1 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: The solid serving continues from Skupski. Commentators think Pavic has lost his mojo in this match. Both Pavic and Sania making errors but worryingly, Pavic unable to dictate at the net, something he is so good at.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-7 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: A blistering backhand return by Skupski gives the 2nd seeds two set points and then Sania saves one with an ace... but Skupski’s return is once again too good and Mirza is broken for the second time! We are into the decider.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-6 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: And now another huge service game for Sania, can she erase the last one from her memory and bounce back?
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-6 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: A bad miss by Pavic at the net to make it 30-30, that could have been crucial. Instead Krawczyk has a game point on her serve and Skupski seals the deal.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 5-5 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: And that’s the service game the 6th seeds needed! Pavic solid on serve, Mirza solid at the net. A hold at love.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 4-5 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: At 30-30, Skupski’s serve under pressure again. But the commentators’ reckon that break of play a while back has affected the sixth seeds’ rhythm, especially Mirza’s.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 4-4 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: We are back on serve. Mirza has been great in the match so far but that service game did not go to plan. Broken at love, with a double fault no less. She tensed up a bit there and the defending champions back in the match.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 *4-3 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: A potentially huge service game for the defending champs, they will want to break Mirza’s serve here.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 *4-3 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: Krawczyk is supposed to be the most tired of the lot, but she has served so well (despite being taken to deuce a few times early). That was a super service game
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 *4-2 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: And a superb hold at love for Pavic. The sixth seeds are two games away from the final. Things can change quickly though but this is looking good.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 *3-2 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: Skupski takes a medical timeout.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 *3-2 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: Moments like thse,,, make you wonder. Why exactly does Sania want to retire? (We know why, but rhetorical) She is absolutely bossing this match with her groundstrokes. Couple of massive backhand winners (either side of a overhead error but that happens to the best). Still Skupski holds serve in that game. But more treatment on the leg for Mirza but she still seems in good spirits.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 *3-1 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: Mirza follows up a hold at 15 by Krawczyk, with a hold at 15 of her own.
Rafael Nadal fights through abdominal pain to bag a 3-6, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 win over Taylor Fritz and reach the semis. He was struggling big time in the second set, the first serve was far from 100%, but it didn’t matter. He remains unbeaten in Grand Slams this year.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 *2-0 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: Good hold from Pavic, at 30. Mirza with a nice volley at the net.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 *1-0 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: Great forehand return from Sania down the middle and it is a break of serve to start the 2nd set for the sixth seeds! Skupski broken once again.
Little bit of concern though as Sania takes a medical time out for her leg. We are good to go now.
[6] Mirza/Pavic 6-4 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: Good news, Mirza-Pavic have taken the first set 6-4. Solid hold from Pavic. Not-so-good news, Sania Mirza is receiving treatment on her foot it seems. Medical timeout. Hope nothing serious. She was on fire from the baseline in that set.
[6] Mirza/Pavic *5-4 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: Skupski holds serve... and now Pavic can serve for the set.
[6] Mirza/Pavic *5-3 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: Another super Sania Mirza forehand winner to hold serve... those shall be missed on our television screens. Mirza-Pavic up 5-3 as the Indian comfortably holds serve at love.
[6] Mirza/Pavic *4-3 Skupski -Krawczyk [2]: Saw Krawczyk struggle with her serve earlier in this match. Can Mirza-Pavic take advantage here to get an insurance break? A super backhand return from Mirza at the start, gives them a window of opportunity. Goes to 30-30... Skupski is waiting at the net to put away Pavic’s return. The American then shows a touch of class in a good rally to hold serve again.
Mirza/Pavic *4-2 Skupski -Krawczyk: Seen in the previous match too where opponents test the Pavic-Mirza pair with plenty of HIGH lobs. Saw that again in that game. Pavic missed a couple of overhead but nailed one eventually. The game goes to deuce but Mirza’s turn to finish a point with an overhead smash.
And Centre Court continues to enthrall...
Mirza/Pavic *3-2 Skupski -Krawczyk: Sania Mirza’s blistering forehand makes a couple of early appearances in this match. Pavic then with a super return to make it deuce. Soon enough, the 6th seeds break serve!
Over on Centre Court... the warrior is on the brink of a massive win.
Mirza/Pavic 2-2 Skupski -Krawczyk: And Sania Mirza holds serve, confident start to the match.
Mirza/Pavic 1-2 Skupski -Krawczyk: Sania’s first service game coming up...
Mirza/Pavic 1-2 Skupski -Krawczyk: The American left-hander struggled with her first serve repeatedly, but somehow, with Skupski’s help and errors from the Mirza-Pavic pair, she holds. The Indo-Croat pair could come to regret that one.
Mirza/Pavic 1-1 Skupski -Krawczyk: Tokyo champion Pavic will hold the key with his service games and he starts of with a good hold too.
Mirza/Pavic 0-1 Skupski -Krawczyk: Skupski starts with a hold at love. Nice and easy for the Brit.
We are underway on Court 2:
In the quarterfinals: Neal Skupski and American Desirae Krawczyk win 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 win over Jelena Ostapenko and Robert Farah on court 12. Pavic, who won the men’s doubles Tokyo Olympics gold medal last year, and Mirza are seeded sixth and they got the better of fourth seeds John Peers and Gabriela Dadrowski in a match of very fine margins. The Indo-Croatian combination won 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 in 101 minutes.
Brit Neal Skupski and American Desirae Krawczyk won the 2021 mixed doubles title at Wimbledon. For Sania Mirza, this is the first ever Wimbledon mixed doubles semifinal.
Hello all and welcome to our coverage of Wimbledon 2022. Our focus tonight is on mixed doubles semifinals where a pair of former World No 1s in Sania Mirza and Mate Pavic look to reach the final.
Follow along for updates from Mirza-Pavic’s semifinals match against defending champions Neal Skupski and Desirae Krawczyk.