New Delhi, July 12
President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday congratulated Sania Mirza for winning the Wimbledon Grand Slam women's doubles title along with Martina Hingis.

In a message, the president said" "Please accept my hearty congratulations and best wishes...

"As the first woman from India to clinch this Grand Slam title, you have set a new benchmark of success for tennis players that will inspire the youth of India, especially women. The nation joins your family and you in celebrating this accomplishment.

"I look forward to your winning for India many more such laurels in the future."

We gave it our all, says Wimbledon champion Sania

Wimbledon, July 12
After clinching her maiden Wimbledon women's doubles title, Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza said she and her partner Martina Hingis gave it their all on the court even when they were down in the topsy-turvy encounter.

Sania and Martina recovered from being 2-5 down in the final set to bag the tight contest 5-7, 7-6(4), 7-5 over Russians Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, in a match played before an electric crowd.

"For a match like this, the No.1 and No.2 seeds playing, it was the best match you could have asked for in the tournament. It was unbelievably exciting. It was exciting to play. I really hope it was exciting to watch, too," Sania said.

"Even when we were down, we knew we were giving everything. These are the moments we worked years and years and all our lives for. This is what we play for. We feel really honoured to have won that match really."

For Sania, it was her first Grand Slam women's doubles crown; for Hingis, it was her third at Wimbledon, but first in an astonishing 17 years.

"We had chances in every game. I don't know why, we both believed. Even at 2-5, we didn't feel like we were down and out of the match. It was about one break, and it really was," Sania said after the emphatic comeback.

Martina said all she and Sania wanted was to make the Russian duo work hard for each and every point, which eventually led to them succumbing to the pressure.

"All we said to each other was, 'make them win the match. Let them win the match', not for us to lose the match, which means we had to put the ball inside the court, do the right things."

"If they still come out, serving unbelievable the whole match, we knew that at some point hopefully it was going to come down. If it didn't, you say, 'Too good,' shake hands," she said.

"Sixtyfour miles an hour match point second serve, it was like, 'OK, praying for it.' I'm like, 'watch out (Sania), don't get killed'. She (Vesnina) missed it thankfully. At 40-love, you just hope for putting the balls in and make it happen," added the 34-year-old Swiss.

Sania after the win posted a series of emoticons as her update in Twitter and shared a pic of Martina and her on Instagram expressing her delight.