Sania retires in tears, Lakra pays for cautious approach

Sania, returning into the game after a three-month lay-off following a wrist surgery, was trailing 6-1, 2-1 against Czech Iveta Benesova when she had to concede the match. The injury also casts a cloud of doubt over her availability for Tuesday’s doubles first round match. The Indian pair of Sania and Sunitha Rao is scheduled to meet French pair of Tatiana Golovin and Pauline Permentier.

“She had a surgery on her right wrist and it was bothering her right from the beginning. She was covering the court well... But things subsequently became too painful and she had to retire,” team coach Nandan Bal said.

AL Lakra paid the price of being too cautious as he crashed out of boxing competition after losing 5-9 to Athens Games bronze medallist Bahodirjon Sultanov in the opening round of the featherweight category.

Poncha fumbles

A place in the semi-final was beyond his reach but Rehan Poncha could not even better his personal best, ending 40th in 44 swimmers in the 200m butterfly heats.

Takhar out

Bajranglal Takhar failed to make it to the next round in the men’s singles sculls, his time of 7:19.01 in the quarter-finals putting him fifth in his six-man group.