Sania Mirza to miss Australian Open

When Sania Mirza decided to end her season following a semifinal defeat in the China Open in early October, she was not sure when she would be able to resume in 2018. Bothered by a painful right knee for some time and forced to play with a heavy taping, Sania and her Chinese partner Shuai Peng had two more tournaments to push for a berth in the year-ending WTA championships in Singapore, but the Indian didn’t want to take any more chances.

On Saturday, Sania said she would be out for a few more months, ruling out her chances of playing in the Australian Open next month. “It’s kind of serious. I will be out for a few months for sure,” Sania said on the sidelines of an event here, adding that she may have to undergo surgery.