Tennis legend finds Nastase's shadow in Mirza

Sania Mirza may have bowed out of the Acura Classis WTA tournament losing the pre-quarterfinal match to nemesis Akiko Morigami but the tennis ace has won a new fan in legendary Pancho Segura who likened the Hyderabadi girl to Ilie Nastase. Segura, an Ecuador-born American player who roamed the courts in the 1940s and ''50s, felt Sania's hard-hitting game resembles Romanian tennis legend Nastase. "She has a natural way of hitting the ball and she hits it hard. She reminds me of Ilie Nastase," said the 84-year-old legend. Expressing delight at a number of quality players dominating the women circuit, Segura said,"I have never seen so many girls with such good ground strokes, deep and consistent. My prediction is we''re going to have a different crop of players coming on. There once was a gap between the Williams sisters and the others, but now that gap isn''t there." Sugura was merely a 5''6" player who had bowed legs because of ricket. But his brilliant footwork and a devastating two-handed forehand described by his adversary Jack Kramer as the "greatest single shot ever produced in tennis made life difficult for players including Kramer and Pancho Gonzales. After retiring from the tour, Segura became a teaching professional for many years it was under his watchful eyes that Jimmy Connors honed his skills during his formative years. Segura was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame 1985.