Super girl

From tennis postergirl to a serious threat to Serena Williams, Sania Mirza stays in the limelight

Year 2005 will be remembered as the year, Sania Mirza, 18, hit it big when she entered the third round of the Australian Open and went down to Serena Williams, but only after a spirited fight. Mirza emerged not just a superb sportsperson, but a youth icon, a brand in her own right.

Advertisers and marketing gurus see Mirza as a role model for the young. She personifies the ‘New Indian’ — someone with tremendous energy and self-confidence and the desire to excel.

Apart from glamour, Mirza possesses a simple, wholesome charm that comes out of sheer earnestness. There is a down-to-earth quality to her, which goes beyond the transitory appeal typical of models. Mirza is for real.

After zooming from anonymity into the hearts of her nation in 10 months, India’s teenage tennis sensation was caught up in a cultural protest for breaking the mould by being a Muslim athlete. The 18-year-old Mirza surmounted religious barriers to surge from 206 in the women’s world rankings last December to 34 this year.

From now on, Mirza aims to get a direct seeding in Grand Slams and big events. Mirza, who is hungry for more, says that she would be a more determined player over the next 12 months.

URL: http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=112513