Venkatesan Vembu, Daily News & Analysis - Mumbai,India
HONG KONG: Sania Mirza, the fastest-moving player in the women’s tennis rankings for 2005, touched down in Hong Kong on Sunday, hungry for yet more success — and some fiery Schezwan chicken.
Rejuvenated after an intensive training stint with the legendary Australian Tony Roche, Sania, who is here for the Watsons Water Champions Challenge 2006 tournament, told DNA she was happy to be back on the circuit after a three-month layoff. Tony and she had been working on her fitness and her serve-and-volley technique, and she was hoping to make a good start to the year in Hong Kong, she said.
The year gone by was inarguably a phenomenal one for India’s liveliest sporting icons: despite some niggling injuries, she moved from 166 to a high of 31 in the ATP rankings, and finished the year at 34th place.
So, how does she plan to top a sterling performance like that? “Well, I’m not looking for anything in particular,” Sania says. “I’m going to go out and play my game, and take it from there.”
When Sania says she plans to “play her game”, she’s giving notice that she intends to hit the ball achingly hard with her famed forehand. That’s what has won her the ungrudging admiration of her peers on the circuit. World No. 2 Kim Clijsters has said of Sania that she “probably hits the ball harder and cleaner than a lot of the top girls.”
However, the Spice Girl of Indian tennis also made it clear that while in Hong Kong, she would savour its many delights - including some spicy Schezwan chicken and hot-and-sour soup, which she confessed to being fond of.
She said she was returning to Hong Kong after years, and was going to shop for clothes and jewellery.
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