For tennis star Sania Mirza, it was a special occasion. From The All England Tennis Club, she literally hopped into the history books on Saturday. Mirza won her maiden women's doubles title at a Grand Slam with her partner Martina Hingis. The pair beat Russia's Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina 5-7, 7-6, 7-5.
"I hope it inspires a lot of girls and makes them believe they can be Grand Slam champions too," Mirza, who became the first woman player from India to win a women's doubles Grand Slam trophy, said.
"To come out here at Wimbledon, this is something we dream of as kids...Every kid that picks up a tennis racquet this is about winning Wimbledon or playing at Wimbledon one day.
"When we came out at 5-5 (the play was halted at this juncture due to bad light) we had goosebumps. The energy on the court, we were getting a standing ovation, it was unbelievable. We both came out and I said, This is what we play for, this is what we work for, this energy," she said.
And oh! That energy didn't fade even after three gruelling sets. And it was visible in the way Mirza celebrated their win: she couldn't stop jumping. To do something great you need a leap of faith, they say. Mirza proved on Saturday you can look perfectly cool with the leap(s) of fervour after doing something great.
{{/usCountry}}And oh! That energy didn't fade even after three gruelling sets. And it was visible in the way Mirza celebrated their win: she couldn't stop jumping. To do something great you need a leap of faith, they say. Mirza proved on Saturday you can look perfectly cool with the leap(s) of fervour after doing something great.
{{/usCountry}}Take a look (all photos from AFP).
Read: 'Hope it inspires a lot of girls': Sania Mirza after Wimbledon title
Wimbledon: Sania Mirza-Martina Hingis win women's doubles title