If Sania Mirza’s focus on the game is lost, all will be lost

“Sania’s French Open campaign ended in a whimper” was how newspaper reports described her 3-6, 3-6 singles first round loss to 30th ranked Dulco of Argentina. This is exactly what I was dreading. What do fans expect from Sania? Helplessly tossed on the crest of a promotional tsunami, bulging with hysterical endorsement money, expectations from Sania are sky high and far beyond her current standard of play. She seems to be propped up on the wobbly stilts of two lucky performances early in the year.

The route to the top echelons take a minimum of three to four years of grinding work. There is no shortcut. You require ‘blood and guts’. Do not dismiss this as a cliché, it is for real. Last Tuesday I watched two 18-year-olds, Maria Sharapova and Evgenia Linetskaya, play amazing first round matches. They were breathtaking encounters of baseline rallies at unbelievable speed. Some rallies were over 10-12 shots from corner to corner. Both, girls never showed any signs of getting tired even in the final set – such is the level of skill and fitness required.

Sania has a long way to go to reach her optimum attainable physical fitness. It is no easy matter and requires time and the best available advice.

Believe me, it is a daunting task. A few early losses will spark further criticism from the press and bring Sania down to her real level. This will be a big test for her as it could result in a drop in endorsements. One hopes that it will spur her on to greater effort and inspire her to achieve her potential.

At this stage, when one sees the other talent in her age-group, it would be foolish to consider her top class international material.

Having said all this, one has to concede that there is something special about Sania. Beating Svetlana Kuznetsova, who was then ranked No. 3 in the world, was of great significance. It projects a fearless positive attitude. Even when she played against Serena Williams in the Australian Open she was not at all intimidated. She has courage and a fighting heart. These can make good some of Sania’s shortcomings but at the moment the gap is too much and cannot be bridged by her current game.

Taking the full picture in view, Sania’s contribution to women’s tennis cannot be overlooked. It has brought a ray of hope to struggling youngsters who were resigned to the depressing role of being knocked about in low level tournaments. They now feel that they too can break through if they persevere. Even in other spheres of activity Sania’s sparkle and positive attitude will no doubt help liberate women, especially those leading a cloistered existence.

The recent advertising blitz of unparalleled intensity converted the initial admiration for Sania to jealous hostility. Non achievers panther enviously over cups of tea about the crores she has made. They compare Sania to Anju Bobby George who was third in the long jump in the World Championships and has not received a fraction of the endorsements or support. But how is Sania to blame for this? Why should she not grab such an opportunity with both hands?

For her career it is necessary to strike a balance between promotional commitments and the paramount necessity of working on her physical fitness, coaching stints and tournaments schedules. If Sania’s focus on the game is lost, all will be lost. She enjoys the comforting luxuries of a closely knit family. She should steer clear of financial matters and hand them over to her father and mother.

I am looking forward to seeing her at Wimbledon and am sure that she will give a much better account of herself on grass courts.