‘Sania's critics should shut up’

New Delhi, March 2: Taking a dig at critics who were not willing to give Sania Mirza her due after she won the Hyderabad Open, Indian tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi today said they should go for a "reality check" now that she had beaten world number seven Svetlana Kuznetsova."After Sania won the Hyderabad Open there were people who said that it (success) was at home and against lower ranked players. But now she has proved that she can beat the best in the world outside the country and her success back home was no fluke," Bhupathi told reporters here.

"Now all of them should go for a reality check," said Bhupathi whose company Globo Sport manages the 18-year-old Hyderabadi.

Bhupathi, who is here for India's Davis Cup tie against China starting Friday, said they had been looking at the Dubai Open as a chance for Sania to garner some useful ranking points but she had went on to achieve more than that. "It is one thing to get a break and another to make the most of it. Sania is making the most of her opportunities and this proves her ability." Indian Davis Cup captain Leander Paes also echoed the same sentiments and said the teen sensation was having a superb run this year.

"Sania is riding on a wave and now she should garner as many ranking points as she can," he said.

The 31-year-old said he always felt that the girl has quite a few similarities with him and the resilience she showed after being down 0-4 against one of the top 10 players yesterday had made the entire country proud.