This columnist might call herself a culture and heritage nut, who doles out Monday gyaan, all dripping with nostalgia and hat-tips to this great city’s coolness quotient. But the closeted sports addict persona takes over every now and then when the ink and inclination calls for it. Add to that list, when champions decide to retire.

For most of last week, I was torn between keeping track of scores at the Australian Open, as well as from the ODIs between India and South Africa. The latter didn’t go in India’s favour, but this didn’t hurt even half as much as it did when I heard that Sania Mirza had announced that this would be her last year on the circuit.