Sania can make the top 10: Nirupama

COIMBATORE: Today's tennis is all about power and Sania Mirza has tons of it. She is, no doubt, top material, says Nirupama Sanjeev, the first Indian woman to feature in a Grand Slam event.

In an e-mail interview to The Hindu, the Coimbatorean, who now runs the `Niru's Tennis Academy', along with her brother K.V. Ganesh in California, says: "She also has a great attitude. It's a fine achievement that she has managed to hit the top 50 bracket."

Nirupama says she feels that Sania's quick climb to the top was because of her boldness. "She is fearless and does not respect seedings and rankings. That's very important because most of these things are mental."

The former player, who called it quits due to a recurring shoulder injury, agrees that the younger players are able to plan that much better because the older ones have shown the way. "Well, I started playing pro tournaments only when I was 18. When I was 20, I had no coach to travel with me. If that had happened, I feel I might have done better. But then, I don't believe in speculating on whether I would have or should have done this or that."

Nirupama says regrets the fact that she did not quite have the kind of support from sponsors and the government as Sania does. "I did not have all that. I really did feel that the Tamil Nadu Government could have done something for me as I had won about seven nationals and played for my country for more than a decade."

Nirupama, who watched Sania play at the Stanford championship last month, says that the Hyderabadi can make the top 10 but adds that the challenge for her would be next year, as she starts defending the points.