Sania fails to qualify

New Delhi: Sania Mirza had a not-too-impressive return to competitive tennis, failing to qualify for the main draw of the $170,000 Strasbourg Open in France on Sunday.

According to information received here, Sania won her first qualification match, making short work of Germany’s Svenja Weidemann.

In the second round, however, the Hyderabad girl fell 3-6, 3-6 to Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko at the Sport Centre of Hautepierre claycourts.

Sania, ranked No. 72 in the world, earned three ranking points and $550 for making it to the second qualifying round of the WTA Tier III event.

Sania had to play both matches the same day because rain played spoilsport on Saturday. She will go into the French Open, beginning next Monday, a bit under-prepared.

She has a direct entry to the claycourt Grand Slam at Roland Garros.

The Indian teenager was off tennis for close to two months to heal a niggling ankle injury which she has been carrying since January.

She had fired the imagination of her countrymen by becoming the first Indian to win a WTA Tour event (in Hyderabad), preceded and followed by some wonderful results at the Australian Open and the Dubai Open (where she upset Svetlana Kuznetsova

Sex-crazed blogger is a Sania fake

Sania Mirza is in the news — but this time for the wrong reasons. The latest on India’s wunderkind is a blog appearing in her name on the Net. A cursory look would have you believe that Sania herself is in liberated mode and replying to fan mail about her looks, appeal and sexual preferences.

A more careful look and it is clear something’s amiss. A sick prankster is at work. The lewd comments, posted mostly by anonymous fans, are shocking. And this is putting it mildly.

“It is absolutely shocking,” said Nasima, Sania’s mother. She did not want to lend any credence to the blog by reacting further.

But Globosport, the company that manages Sania’s affairs, will take action. “The impression being given is that Sania herself is talking to her fans, which is wholly untrue,” said Anirban Das Blah, vice-president, Globosport, from Bangalore. “This is a case of misrepresentation and we are going to look into legal options.”

That won’t be easy. “The courts can pass an order to block the site in India,” said Pawan Duggal, a cyber lawyer. “But it will be hard to implement it even though Indian cyber laws (the IT Act) have extraterritorial jurisdiction.”

The blog isn’t an aberration. In February, after she won the WTA Hyderabad Open, Sania had had to ask for police cover as she was being mobbed across the city.

The latest incident has shocked many. Talking to HT from Los Angeles, tennis legend Vijay Amritraj said it was “ludicrous”. “People should focus on Sania’s tennis and her success, which is like one in a million,” he said. “It’s almost like Rocky.”

Blah said it was sad Sania was paying this price for being a celebrity. To make it clear that the tennis player has nothing to do with the blog, he said an official Sania fan site would come up soon.

“It will be a free site where Sania will be in touch with her fans and all activities relating to her tennis on a daily basis will be posted on it,” he said.

Sania mirza brand ambassador for Lotto 

Sania mirza with Indian cricket Team captain Sourav Ganguly 

Sania Mirza comeback in Strasbourg

Sania will be testing her ankle at the Tier III event

New Delhi: Sania Mirza will be looking to regain her winning touch ahead of the French Open in her comeback tournament at the Tier III $170,000 Strasbourg Open after a six-week injury lay-off.

The 18-year-old, currently training at Bob Brett’s academy in San Remo, Italy, said she needed to get as many matches as possible under her belt before playing the claycourt Grand Slam in Paris beginning on May 23. Sania, ranked No. 72 on the WTA Tour list, will be leaving for France on Friday.

“I am coming back from an injury, so I need to play as many matches as possible and test the ankle first,” Sania said from San Remo. “Of course I enter every tournament to win, but this time first I have to know about my ankle.”

The slippery claycourts would make the task all the more tough for the first Indian to win a WTA crown.

The 2003 Wimbledon junior doubles champion said her fitness was good but is yet to reach peak level.

“I have been working steadily. Fitnesswise I am all right, but I am not stressing my ankle too much. It has been three hours of play and two hours of physical programme (at the academy). When I say physical, I mean it does not affect the ankle.”

Sania retains ranking, Shikha moves up to 135th

Primed for a comeback before the French Open after an ankle injury kept her out of the court for more than a month, Sania Mirza managed to retain her 72nd position in the latest WTA rankings, while Shikha Uberoi moved a step up to finish at 135.

The new rankings, released today, have Sania occupying the same 72nd place with 464 rank points.

Following her down the ladder is compatriot and seasoned Rushmi Chakravarthi whose 72 rank points place her at a poor 329th, thus slipping six places frmo last week's rankings.

Sai Jayalakshmy Jayaram slid nine places to finish 478 while Fed Cup team member Ankita Bhambri managed to improve her rankings, going two places up to finish 506. Rookie Shruti Dhawan maintains her 508th place while Ankita's sister Sanaa Bhambri is 547.

Meanwhile US-based Shikha Uberoi, who recently made her Fed Cup debut for India, is perched on the 135th place - moving a step up since last week's rankings. She tallied rank 268 points.

Her sibling Neha moved seven steps up to finish 285 with 292 rank points.

Sania mirza during an interview

Sania mirza during an interview @ home

The Kolkotta prince crowning the Indian Queen Sania mirza 

Sania mirza giving polio drops to infant  

sania mirza with union sports minister and Former Bollywood actor Sunil Dutt 

sania with fan 

Indian tennis player Sania Mirza stretches during a practice session at Hyderabad, India, Monday, May 2, 2005. Mirza is competing in the upcoming French Open. 

Cash incentive for Gopi Chand and Sania

SUPPORT SPARKS SMILEs: Sania Mirza and Pullela Gopi Chand must have been buoyed by their State's gesture.

HYDERABAD: The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy presented cash incentives to former All England badminton champion Pullela Gopi Chand and tennis star Sania Mirza to help them in their respective endeavours — in Gopi Chand's case to tap talent and in Sania's case, to improve her performance in the Grand Slam events.

Dr. Reddy sanctioned Rs. 20 lakhs towards training for Sania Mirza, who will be leaving for Italy to be coached by Bob Brett, and Rs. 10 lakhs to Gopi Chand to meet the salary of the UK-based coach Thomas John. The coach's services are being utilised in the Asian Badminton Confederation's training programme which is to be conducted under the aegis of the Gopi Chand International Academy at Gachibowli.

Sania was presented 75 per cent of the sanctioned amount by the Chief Minister by cheque on Monday. This was after Sania was introduced to Dr. Reddy by Ms. Sumita Dawra, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh, at the CM's camp office on Monday morning.

CM's assurance

"I am glad that Sania has been performing exceptionally well. And we sincerely wish she will scale new heights in the world of tennis," remarked Dr. Reddy. Referring to Gopi's Academy, the Chief Minister advised him to carry out his task in the best possible manner. "Our ultimate objective is to produce champions and the Government will support you in your efforts," he assured the champion shuttler.

Later speaking to the media, Sania said that she would take part in the French Open even if she was not fully fit. "But I am optimistic of being in a more confident frame of mind after my training stint with Bob Brett before the Grand Slam," she said.

"I can only hope that things will get better as the days progress. Right now I cannot exactly say which events I will compete in during the run-up to the French Open," she said. "Yes, definitely I am really happy that I am back on the court after a six-week break," Sania concluded.

Sania moves one place up

NEW DELHI: Sania Mirza moved up to a career-best 72nd spot, according to the latest WTA singles rankings announced on Monday.

Placed 73rd in the previous week's rankings, Sania's 464 points helped her move one place up.

Meanwhile, Shikha Uberoi slipped six places to be 136th with 268 points despite doing well in her maiden Fed Cup appearance for India. Down the list is Rushmi Chakravarthi who was 323rd with 72 points.

Sania confident of playing French Open

India's women's tennis star Sania Mirza is all set to play the French Open to be held at Rolland Garros in Paris. Sania will be leaving tonight for Milano, Italy for advanced training at the Bob Brett Academy, to overcome her ankle pain and gain match fitness. She received a cheque of Rs 15 lakh out of the promised Rs 20 lakh from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy for her advanced training. Mr Reddy hoped that she would bring many a laurels for the state and the country. The Chief Minister also gave Rs 10 lakh to Pullela Gopichand, the former All England Badminton champion for providing higher level training for the badminton players in the state with the help of a foreign coach. Speaking to media persons today, Sania said, "On the advice of orthopaedic specialist K J Reddy of Apollo Hospitals and Indian cricket team physio John Gloster, I have started regular practice of one hour a day". "When serving the way Bob suggested, I feel pain in my ankle. Hence, we thought it would be better to train under his supervision for some time," she added. When asked about her plans if she does not overcome the pain, she replied, "even then I will play in the French Open". She was not sure if she could play a couple of events on clay courts before the Grand slam event in Paris beginning on May 23.

Andhra Pradesh govt to bear Sania's training expenses

Hyderabad, May 2: Ahead of the French Open tennis sensation Sania Mirza got a moral boost with Andhra Pradesh government accepting to bear her training expenses in full.
In a bid to encourage sports and be part of the success story of tennis sensation Sania Mirza, Andhra Pradesh government will be meeting the entire training expenses of the rising tennis star.

Chief Minsiter Y S Rajsekhar Reddy assured that the state would bear the Rs 20 lakh expenditure to be incurred by Sania, who accompanied Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) Managing Director Sumit Dwara and Services Sports Control Board President A K Singh.

He also handed over a cheque covering 75 per cent component of the assured money to her, official sources present at the venue said.

Sania back to court; to play a tourney before French Open

Tennis sensation Sania Mirza is back to courts for a practise session and plans to play at least one tournament before the French Open.

Sania, who was advised 15-day rest and had to pull out of the Federation Cup at Delhi, practised for about 45 minutes in the morning and will gradually increase the time at the ennis complex courts.

"As advised by the doctor she practised only for 45 minutes... she was comfortable but had a slight pain in the ankle while going for high serves," Sania's father Imran Mirza told PTI after the practise session.

A tele-consultancy was done last night with Dr K J Reddy, who was in London and on his advise Sania started the practise session, Mirza said.

Dr Reddy, who had earlier advised 15 days rest after studying the MRI and other medical reports asked Sania to start practice in a graded manner as "the Oedema on the ankle has come down considerably".

Sania, who was given a wild card in the French Open along with defending champion Anastasia Myskina and runner-up Elena Dementieva (both Russia) plans to play at least one tournament which serves as a practise match before the big event beginning this month end, Imran Mirza said.

Sania gets doctor's nod, to play in French Open

The green signal from the doctor has dispersed the cloud of doubt over her ankle injury and Sania Mirza will be playing in the singles event of the French Open tennis championship at Rolland Garros from May 23 this year.

Sania's father Imran Mirza said doctors at the Apollo Hospitals in Hyderabad had cleared her to participate in the Grand Slam event after conducting medical examinations, including bone marrow test.

''She is meeting the doctors tonight again to seek their advice on precautions for the big event'', he said.

Sania had earlier met Indian cricket team physio John Gloster, who suggested her to mail him the medical reports and promised to get the opinion of the doctors at the Australian Institute of Sports.

'' Gloster also advised her to take couple of weeks rest'' Imran added.

Dr K J Reddy-- the orthopeadic specialist at the corporate Apollo Hospitals-- who is treating Sania is also confident that she would be able to play her normal game with some precautions.

On his advise, Sania has started her practice for the forthcoming Grand Slam event.

The 73rd ranked Indian would be competing in the main draw at Rolland Garros along with defending champion Anastasia Myskina and runner up Elena Dementieva, both from Russia.

Sania Mirza to train with Bob Brett

HYDERABAD: Sania Mirza has decided to undergo training under the Italy-based Bob Brett even as the doctors had advised `graded' practice. This decision was taken after her 45-minute practice session, the first one after six months, at Park View Tennis Academy here on Sunday.

Sania felt slight pain in the injured ankle but that was only when she was going for the big serves. "She is quite comfortable but we have decided to be extra careful and will follow the doctor's advice regarding the practice schedule which suggested only an hour's training daily and then think of increasing the span," Imran Mirza told The Hindu. But, it was also informed that when Sania spoke to Bob Brett, she was assured that she would not be forced to do anything which would aggravate her injury. In fact, Bob Brett informed her that he was planning to work on some `specifics' before she begins her campaign in the French Open Grand Slam.

Sania was given an entry in the 32-member draw of the Strauss Invitation tournament in France before the French Open and a decision on whether she should take part in it or not would be taken depending on how her ankle responds during the training schedule.

Sania will leave for Italy on Monday, accompanied by her father.