CHARLESTON, S.C. - WTA Tour veteran Elena Likhovtseva and rising star Sania Mirza have agreed to play this year's Family Circle Cup, tournament officials said Monday.
They join a formidable field, including Justine Henin-Hardenne, Mary Pierce, Venus Williams and Serena Williams.
Likhovtseva will be making her ninth appearance at the Family Circle Cup, where she is a two-time quarterfinalist and captured the 1999 doubles championship with Jana Novotna.
This year will be Mirza's first appearance at the tournament.
"Our 2005 player field will feature the perfect blend of both solid veterans and rising stars," tournament director Robin Reynolds said. "This year, fans will be able to see some of the most exciting players in women's tennis today."
The Family Circle Cup will be held April 8-16 at Daniel Island.
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Sania still at No. 36
New Delhi: Sania Mirza just about managed to retain the 36th place in the latest WTA Entry Systems rankings despite her early exit from last week’s Dubai Open.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Sania-Maria flop
Sania Mirza and Maria Vento-Kabchi of Venezuela flopped in the doubles second round of the USD one million Dubai Duty Free Women's Open tennis tournament here.
Sania and her partner Maria bowed out 3-6 2-6 against Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia and Ai Sugiyama of Japan in a rain-interrupted match yesterday.
Sania and her partner Maria bowed out 3-6 2-6 against Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia and Ai Sugiyama of Japan in a rain-interrupted match yesterday.
Sania-Maria storm into second round
The7AM.com : Sports news - Sania-Maria storm into second round: "Dubai: Sania Mirza and her new partner Maria Vento-Kabchi of Venezuela stormed into the doubles second round of the USD 1 million Dubai Duty Free Women's Open tennis tournament here on Thursday.
The Indo-Venezuelan duo got the better of Russian pair of Maria Kirilenko and Anastasia Myskina in straight sets 6-3 6-4 in the first round of the WTA Tier II touranment.
They will next play Kveta Peschke of Czech Republic and Francesca Schiavone of Italy for a semifinal berth.
Sania, who played with a heavily strapped elbow, maintained her composure and was well-aided by Maria against the nimble footed Russian girls for a comfortable looking score.
The 36th ranked Indian, however, has indicated that her right elbow, which was troubling her since Bangalore Open, where she won the doubled title last week, may keep her from participating in the next week's Qatar Total Open in Doha. "
The Indo-Venezuelan duo got the better of Russian pair of Maria Kirilenko and Anastasia Myskina in straight sets 6-3 6-4 in the first round of the WTA Tier II touranment.
They will next play Kveta Peschke of Czech Republic and Francesca Schiavone of Italy for a semifinal berth.
Sania, who played with a heavily strapped elbow, maintained her composure and was well-aided by Maria against the nimble footed Russian girls for a comfortable looking score.
The 36th ranked Indian, however, has indicated that her right elbow, which was troubling her since Bangalore Open, where she won the doubled title last week, may keep her from participating in the next week's Qatar Total Open in Doha. "
For Sania it’s ‘shop till you drop’ in Dubai
DUBAI — Now that she has some time on her hands, India’s tennis heartthrob Sania Mirza plans on getting some shopping done. “Every time I come here, I empty my purse,” said a slightly giggly Sania on Tuesday.
When asked if she’s decided what she’s going shopping for, the world No.38 said she “never decides” in advance. “I’ll probably go buy clothes, shoes, bags. And of course, something for my family.”
When it was pointed out that she’s still in the doubles draw, Sania said: “Then I won’t be emptying my purse just yet.”Not too upset: “I was excited about coming back to Dubai but unfortunately I ran into Martina (Hingis) in the first round,” said Sania, the 19-year-old from the land of the Nizams.
That first round clash was the first time they had ever played each other.
“To be honest, I think I played a great match. Martina had to work for every point. I learned a few things by playing against her.
“She’s one of the greats of tennis. She doesn’t go boom-boom on every ball. She just counter punches and keeps the ball in play. It was good to have the crowd behind me and I think they enjoyed the match,” she added.Sell-out crowd: It was probably for the first time that a first-round match of the Dubai Duty Free women’s championship had a sell-out crowd.
The atmosphere was electric as the crowd tried to pump up Sania past a smiling Hingis.
At one point some one in the crowd shouted ‘out’ when the ball was clearly in and Ms Mirza had to go and clarify that point with the chair umpire. Some instructions were even shouted out to the Hyderabad youngster in ‘Urdu’ so that the Swiss Miss wouldn’t understand what was going on. From the amount of attraction the Mirza-Hingis tie drew, it could have been a final rather than just another first-round match.Not nervous: “It wasn’t the greatest match I’ve played,” said Martina Hingis, flashing big smiles, at her post-match conference. Just happy to get through.”
Did a very partisan crowd unnerve her?
“I’ve got used to that. I’m not nervous about going on court anymore. I just have to remember I’m not 18 anymore. I have to adjust my game for my age.”
Her thoughts on her young opponent? “She’s young. She will learn. She has a strong forehand and some good cross-court shots. She needs to keep the ball in play more instead of going for outright winners.”
Pulling power: Sania Mirza pulling power was very much in evidence yesterday. Court number three was packed to watch the Indian star and her partner Maria Vento-Kabchi of Venezuala beat the highly-fancied Russians Fed Cup pairing of Maria Kirilenko and Anastasia Myskina.
The crowd went home very satisfied, knowing that they would get the chance to see Sania play another day.
Yesterday Ms Mirza did not wear the elbow guard she sported in her singles match against Martina Hingis.
And that may be due to the quality time the Indian enjoyed at Dubai's new Akaru Spa earlier in the day. At the invitation of the Dubai Open, Sania was treated to reflexology of the hands and feet before her doubles match.
That treatment seems to have worked wonders for the Hyderabadi youngster.The centre court was packed again for the second night running as Maria Sharapova played some classy tennis against her Russian compatriot Vera Dushina. Tuesday night’s crowd was noisy and boisterous.
Yesterday it was more like a normal tennis arena; with fans gently clapping when necessary.
When asked if she’s decided what she’s going shopping for, the world No.38 said she “never decides” in advance. “I’ll probably go buy clothes, shoes, bags. And of course, something for my family.”
When it was pointed out that she’s still in the doubles draw, Sania said: “Then I won’t be emptying my purse just yet.”Not too upset: “I was excited about coming back to Dubai but unfortunately I ran into Martina (Hingis) in the first round,” said Sania, the 19-year-old from the land of the Nizams.
That first round clash was the first time they had ever played each other.
“To be honest, I think I played a great match. Martina had to work for every point. I learned a few things by playing against her.
“She’s one of the greats of tennis. She doesn’t go boom-boom on every ball. She just counter punches and keeps the ball in play. It was good to have the crowd behind me and I think they enjoyed the match,” she added.Sell-out crowd: It was probably for the first time that a first-round match of the Dubai Duty Free women’s championship had a sell-out crowd.
The atmosphere was electric as the crowd tried to pump up Sania past a smiling Hingis.
At one point some one in the crowd shouted ‘out’ when the ball was clearly in and Ms Mirza had to go and clarify that point with the chair umpire. Some instructions were even shouted out to the Hyderabad youngster in ‘Urdu’ so that the Swiss Miss wouldn’t understand what was going on. From the amount of attraction the Mirza-Hingis tie drew, it could have been a final rather than just another first-round match.Not nervous: “It wasn’t the greatest match I’ve played,” said Martina Hingis, flashing big smiles, at her post-match conference. Just happy to get through.”
Did a very partisan crowd unnerve her?
“I’ve got used to that. I’m not nervous about going on court anymore. I just have to remember I’m not 18 anymore. I have to adjust my game for my age.”
Her thoughts on her young opponent? “She’s young. She will learn. She has a strong forehand and some good cross-court shots. She needs to keep the ball in play more instead of going for outright winners.”
Pulling power: Sania Mirza pulling power was very much in evidence yesterday. Court number three was packed to watch the Indian star and her partner Maria Vento-Kabchi of Venezuala beat the highly-fancied Russians Fed Cup pairing of Maria Kirilenko and Anastasia Myskina.
The crowd went home very satisfied, knowing that they would get the chance to see Sania play another day.
Yesterday Ms Mirza did not wear the elbow guard she sported in her singles match against Martina Hingis.
And that may be due to the quality time the Indian enjoyed at Dubai's new Akaru Spa earlier in the day. At the invitation of the Dubai Open, Sania was treated to reflexology of the hands and feet before her doubles match.
That treatment seems to have worked wonders for the Hyderabadi youngster.The centre court was packed again for the second night running as Maria Sharapova played some classy tennis against her Russian compatriot Vera Dushina. Tuesday night’s crowd was noisy and boisterous.
Yesterday it was more like a normal tennis arena; with fans gently clapping when necessary.
Sania moves up to 36th spot
The7AM.com : Tennis news - Sania moves up to 36th spot: "New Delhi: Sania Mirza's fortunes continued to fluctuate and after dropping six places last week, the Indian ace moved up two rungs to 36th in the latest WTA rankings issued on Monday.
Sania has 537.75 ranking points and the improvement in the standings follows the doubles win at the Bangalore Open on Sunday. The 19-year-old Hyderabadi is still ahead of Serena Williams who languishes at the 44th spot with 488 points.
Isha Lakhani was the biggest gainer, moving up from 488 to 388 with 44 points. The U.S.-based Shikha Uberoi went one place up to 161 with 171.75.
The Bhambri sisters, Ankita and Sanaa, were at the 359th and 460th positions respectively. Sanaa made some improvement from last week, jumping five places with 31.25 points. Shruti Dhawan also went up five places to 503.
Kim Clijsters (3566 points) leads the pack, followed by Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo (3435). Switzerland's Martina Hingis, making a comeback after a long injury lay-off, dropped two places to finish 50th."
Sania has 537.75 ranking points and the improvement in the standings follows the doubles win at the Bangalore Open on Sunday. The 19-year-old Hyderabadi is still ahead of Serena Williams who languishes at the 44th spot with 488 points.
Isha Lakhani was the biggest gainer, moving up from 488 to 388 with 44 points. The U.S.-based Shikha Uberoi went one place up to 161 with 171.75.
The Bhambri sisters, Ankita and Sanaa, were at the 359th and 460th positions respectively. Sanaa made some improvement from last week, jumping five places with 31.25 points. Shruti Dhawan also went up five places to 503.
Kim Clijsters (3566 points) leads the pack, followed by Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo (3435). Switzerland's Martina Hingis, making a comeback after a long injury lay-off, dropped two places to finish 50th."
The7AM.com : Tennis news - Sania row: Pairing with Israeli risky
The7AM.com : Tennis news - Sania row: Pairing with Israeli risky: "New Delhi: Sania Mirza doesn't want to ruffle any more feathers.
After the controversy over her dress code, the 19-year-old tennis star has refused to pair up with Israeli tennis player Shahar Pe'er in the doubles tournament of the Dubai Open for fear of violent protests by India's Islamic community.
Mirza initially agreed to play with Pe'er, but later retracted, telling Pe'er that, 'It's best that we don't play together this time to prevent protests against my cooperation with an Israeli. There is no reason to arouse the ire of the Indian Muslims.'
Sania had been embroiled in a controversy where she was chastised by Muslim groups in India for wearing a sleeveless top and a mini-skirt during her matches.
The two players did not pair up at the Australian Open in January for the same reason.Pe'er's coach, Oded Yaakov, said 'It is understandable that Mirza would not want to ignite the protestors against her once again. The situation in India is sensitive as it is. However, I would like to believe that she will be willing to cooperate with Shahar in the future.'
Sania Mirza is ranked 39 in world Tennis. She lost in the first round of the Dubai Open to Martina Hingis, on Tuesday.
She played with a strapped right elbow as she went down to the five-time Grand Slam champion Hingis 3-6 5-7 yesterday.
The injury, which she sustained while playing the Bangalore Open, may lead her to pull out of the Doha Open that begins on February 27."
After the controversy over her dress code, the 19-year-old tennis star has refused to pair up with Israeli tennis player Shahar Pe'er in the doubles tournament of the Dubai Open for fear of violent protests by India's Islamic community.
Mirza initially agreed to play with Pe'er, but later retracted, telling Pe'er that, 'It's best that we don't play together this time to prevent protests against my cooperation with an Israeli. There is no reason to arouse the ire of the Indian Muslims.'
Sania had been embroiled in a controversy where she was chastised by Muslim groups in India for wearing a sleeveless top and a mini-skirt during her matches.
The two players did not pair up at the Australian Open in January for the same reason.Pe'er's coach, Oded Yaakov, said 'It is understandable that Mirza would not want to ignite the protestors against her once again. The situation in India is sensitive as it is. However, I would like to believe that she will be willing to cooperate with Shahar in the future.'
Sania Mirza is ranked 39 in world Tennis. She lost in the first round of the Dubai Open to Martina Hingis, on Tuesday.
She played with a strapped right elbow as she went down to the five-time Grand Slam champion Hingis 3-6 5-7 yesterday.
The injury, which she sustained while playing the Bangalore Open, may lead her to pull out of the Doha Open that begins on February 27."
Wednesday, February 22, 2006
Sania Mirza of India returns a backhand
Sania Mirza of India returns a backhand to Martina Hingis of Switzerland during their Dubai Open tennis tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 21, 2006. Hingis won 6-3 7-5.
Sania Mirza of India reacts in dejection after losing a point
Sania Mirza of India reacts in dejection after losing a point in the second set to Martina Hingis of Switzerland during their Dubai Open tennis tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 21, 2006. Hingis won 6-3 7-5.
Sania Mirza of India eyes the ball
Sania Mirza of India eyes the ball before returning a shot to Martina Hingis of Switzerland during their Dubai Open tennis tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 21, 2006. Hingis won 6-3 7-5.
Sania Mirza of India reacts after losing a set
Sania Mirza of India reacts after losing a set to Martina Hingis of Switzerland during their Dubai Open tennis match in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 21, 2006. Hingis won 6-3 7-5
Sania Mirza of India reacts in dejection
Sania Mirza of India reacts in dejection after losing a point to Martina Hingis of Switzerland during their Dubai Open tennis tournament in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 21, 2006. Hingis won 6-3 7-5.
sania returns the ball to Martina Hingis
Sania Mirza, of India, returns the ball to Martina Hingis, of Switzerland during the second day of the Duty free women's open in Dubai, UAE, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2006
during the doubles semi-final match against Ukraine's Mariya Koryttseva and Israel's Shahar Peer
India's Sania Mirza, right, and partner South Africa's Liezl Huber talk during the doubles semi-final match against Ukraine's Mariya Koryttseva and Israel's Shahar Peer in the Bangalore Open Tennis in Bangalore, India, Saturday Feb. 18, 2006. Mirza and Huber won the match 7-5, 6-7, 6-4.
Sania Mirza of India, left, looks on
Sania Mirza of India, left, looks on as partner Liezl Huber of South Africa serves in the doubles semi-final match against Mariya Koryttseva of Ukraine and Shahar Peer of Israel in the Bangalore Open Tennis in Bangalore, India, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2006.
Sania Mirza prepares to return a shot to French opponent
ndian tennis player Sania Mirza prepares to return a shot to French opponent Camille Pin during the second round match of the WTA Bangalore Open 2006 in Bangalore. Pin pulled off a major upset at the 175,000-dollar WTA Bangalore Open when she ousted Mirza in the second round
Sania Mirza looks on during her match against Camille Pin
ndia's tennis player Sania Mirza looks on during her match against Camille Pin of France in the second round of the Bangalore Open in the southern Indian city of Bangalore February 15, 2006. Unseeded Frenchwoman Pin beat top seed and home favourite Mirza 1-6 7-5 6-2 in the Bangalore Open on Wednesday.
Sania Mirza plays a shot against Camille Pin
India's tennis player Sania Mirza plays a shot against Camille Pin of France in the second round of the Bangalore Open in the southern Indian city of Bangalore February 15, 2006. Unseeded Frenchwoman Pin beat top seed and home favourite Mirza 1-6 7-5 6-2 in the Bangalore Open on Wednesday.
Sania Mirza reacts during her match
ndia's tennis player Sania Mirza reacts during her match against Camille Pin of France in the second round of the Bangalore Open in the southern Indian city of Bangalore February 15, 2006. Unseeded Frenchwoman Pin beat top seed and home favourite Mirza 1-6 7-5 6-2 in the Bangalore Open on Wednesday. REUTERS/Jagadeesh Nv
Sania Mirza walks during her match against Camille Pin
India's tennis player Sania Mirza walks during her match against Camille Pin of France in the second round of the Bangalore Open in the southern Indian city of Bangalore February 15, 2006. Unseeded Frenchwoman Pin beat top seed and home favourite Mirza 1-6 7-5 6-2 in the Bangalore Open on Wednesday. REUTERS/Jagadeesh Nv
Sania Mirza reacts during her match against Camille Pin of France
India's tennis player Sania Mirza reacts during her match against Camille Pin of France in the second round of the Bangalore Open in the southern Indian city of Bangalore February 15, 2006. Unseeded Frenchwoman Pin beat top seed and home favourite Mirza 1-6 7-5 6-2 in the Bangalore Open on Wednesday. REUTERS/Jagadeesh Nv
Sania Mirza reacts during her match against Camille Pin
India's Sania Mirza reacts during her match against Camille Pin of France in the second round of the Bangalore Open in Bangalore, India, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2006. Pin won 1-6, 7-5, 6-2. (AP Photo/Gautam Singh)
Sania Mirza does her hair during her match against Camille Pin
India's Sania Mirza does her hair during her match against Camille Pin of France in the second round of the Bangalore Open in Bangalore, India, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2006. Pin won 1-6, 7-5, 6-2. (AP Photo/Gautam Singh)
Sania Mirza returns the ball to her German opponent Martina Muller
Indian tennis player Sania Mirza returns the ball to her German opponent Martina Muller during their first round match of the WTA Bangalore Open 2006, in Bangalore. Mirza ruled the center court as she demolished German Martina Muller 6-2, 6-2 in the first round of the 175,000-dollar WTA Bangalore Open tournament(AFP/Dibyangshu Sarkar)
Unconvincing Hingis beats Mirza to reach second round in Dubai
The7AM.com:
DUBAI: Martina Hingis produced an unconvincing display on her way to a 6-3 7-5 victory over India's Sania Mirza in the first round of the Dubai Open on Tuesday.
It was an uneven performance from the Swiss former world number one against an opponent who also failed to find any consistency before a rowdy sell-out crowd.
'I'm happy to be through, to be honest,' the 25-year-old told reporters. 'It wasn't the greatest match I've played, but I'm through.
'It felt like a soccer game out there but it didn't really bother me. Maybe in the past I would get annoyed by the crowd but today I just tried to go through it.
'But I just couldn't find my rhythm, coming from playing indoors. I came here Friday, but it always takes you a couple of matches.'
Hingis broke to 3-1 with a reflex volley at the net, only to drop serve in the next game to a crosscourt return before immediately regaining the lead with a dropshot.
Mirza held off two set points at 5-2 before Hingis fought off a break point at 5-3 and closed out on her fourth set point.
In the second set, Hingis broke three times but allowed Mirza to level on each occasion. Having failed to serve out the match at 5-4, Hingis broke again and secured the match.
'I felt I had the game under control and whenever I needed it I was able to step it up,' said Hingis, who humbled Maria Sharapova in Tokyo earlier this month to reach her first final since returning to the tour at the beginning of the year.
'I wasn't thinking that I was going to lose the set because I felt she always had ups and downs. So did I, but every time I needed it I knew I could pressure her.'
Hingis was noticeably slow around the court at times but put that down to her training programme.
'I came back home after Tokyo and was doing a lot of physical work and conditioning, and I think I overdid it a little bit and I'm still recovering,' she said.
Russian fifth seed Nadia Petrova fell 6-4 6-1 to compatriot Maria Kirilenko.
Seventh-seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone defeated Virginie Razzano of France 6-4 6-4 while Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova took just 55 minutes to overwhelm German Martina Muller 6-2 6-0."
DUBAI: Martina Hingis produced an unconvincing display on her way to a 6-3 7-5 victory over India's Sania Mirza in the first round of the Dubai Open on Tuesday.
It was an uneven performance from the Swiss former world number one against an opponent who also failed to find any consistency before a rowdy sell-out crowd.
'I'm happy to be through, to be honest,' the 25-year-old told reporters. 'It wasn't the greatest match I've played, but I'm through.
'It felt like a soccer game out there but it didn't really bother me. Maybe in the past I would get annoyed by the crowd but today I just tried to go through it.
'But I just couldn't find my rhythm, coming from playing indoors. I came here Friday, but it always takes you a couple of matches.'
Hingis broke to 3-1 with a reflex volley at the net, only to drop serve in the next game to a crosscourt return before immediately regaining the lead with a dropshot.
Mirza held off two set points at 5-2 before Hingis fought off a break point at 5-3 and closed out on her fourth set point.
In the second set, Hingis broke three times but allowed Mirza to level on each occasion. Having failed to serve out the match at 5-4, Hingis broke again and secured the match.
'I felt I had the game under control and whenever I needed it I was able to step it up,' said Hingis, who humbled Maria Sharapova in Tokyo earlier this month to reach her first final since returning to the tour at the beginning of the year.
'I wasn't thinking that I was going to lose the set because I felt she always had ups and downs. So did I, but every time I needed it I knew I could pressure her.'
Hingis was noticeably slow around the court at times but put that down to her training programme.
'I came back home after Tokyo and was doing a lot of physical work and conditioning, and I think I overdid it a little bit and I'm still recovering,' she said.
Russian fifth seed Nadia Petrova fell 6-4 6-1 to compatriot Maria Kirilenko.
Seventh-seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone defeated Virginie Razzano of France 6-4 6-4 while Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova took just 55 minutes to overwhelm German Martina Muller 6-2 6-0."
Sania injured, may pull out of Doha Open
The7AM.com:
An elbow injury may force India's tennis star Sania Mirza, who lost to Martina Hingis in the first round of the Dubai Open, to pull out of Qatar Total Open which begins in Doha from February 27.
The Indian tennis ace played with a strapped right elbow as she went down to the five-time Grand Slam champion Hingis 3-6 5-7 on Tuesday.
'I got my elbow injured while playing in the singles during the Bangalore Open. I have been carrying a few injuries from the past few weeks and that may lead me to pull out of the Doha Open,' Sania said.
Asked if the elbow injury forced her to take such a decision, she said, 'probably, I won't be going to Doha because of the elbow.'
Sania, currently ranked at No 36 in the world, applauded the crowd for the support she got from them.
'It is unfortunate that I had to run into Martina Hingis in the first round,' said Sania, the doubles title winner at the Bangalore Open last week.
Hingis, however, seemed a bit uncomfortable and surprised with the way the crowd cheered for the Indian teenager.
'It looked more like a football match,' Hingis said.
'I could not find my rhythm and I am just happy to be through to the next round.'"
An elbow injury may force India's tennis star Sania Mirza, who lost to Martina Hingis in the first round of the Dubai Open, to pull out of Qatar Total Open which begins in Doha from February 27.
The Indian tennis ace played with a strapped right elbow as she went down to the five-time Grand Slam champion Hingis 3-6 5-7 on Tuesday.
'I got my elbow injured while playing in the singles during the Bangalore Open. I have been carrying a few injuries from the past few weeks and that may lead me to pull out of the Doha Open,' Sania said.
Asked if the elbow injury forced her to take such a decision, she said, 'probably, I won't be going to Doha because of the elbow.'
Sania, currently ranked at No 36 in the world, applauded the crowd for the support she got from them.
'It is unfortunate that I had to run into Martina Hingis in the first round,' said Sania, the doubles title winner at the Bangalore Open last week.
Hingis, however, seemed a bit uncomfortable and surprised with the way the crowd cheered for the Indian teenager.
'It looked more like a football match,' Hingis said.
'I could not find my rhythm and I am just happy to be through to the next round.'"
Monday, February 20, 2006
Leave Sania Mirza alone, says Qatar tennis chief
"SANIA Mirza is a good ambassador for the game and critics should let her “live her own life’, the chief of the Qatar Tennis Federation has said.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Faleh al-Thani was speaking at an informal meeting with journalists ahead of the Total Qatar Open for women beginning on February 27 in Doha.
Sania Mirza
Sheikh Mohammed said all those fanatics in India who publicly criticise the Indian star for her dress sense were missing the point completely about how the teenager has put tennis on a different pedestal.
“It is tremendous how she is inspiring an entire generation of women in India and other parts of Asia,” said the QTF chief.
“She has the same effect on people as Martina Hingis used to have when she burst upon the scene,” he added.
Sheikh Mohammed was of the opinion that Mirza, the first Muslim female in history to ever win a WTA title, would be the star attraction at the Total Qatar Open.
“Insha’llah we hope she at least reaches the final. She is a good ambassador for the game and I am sure tennis will gain from her involvement besides encouraging more women to take up the sport.
“Also she is a very mature person as you can make out from her interviews. She always says sensible things.”
Sheikh Mohammed, under whom Qatar’s involvement in the game has grown considerably, said it would be good for the Qatar Open if she does well in the event.
The QTF has a busy schedule this year with several tournaments lined up.
“We had the ExxonMobil Qatar Open for men in January and the Total Qatar Open next week which are top class events, but we are also preparing for the Second Qatar German Open in Berlin in May and the Hamburg Masters later that month,” said Sheikh Mohammed.
The Berlin tournament, a Tier One event, is completely owned by Qatar, which also has a 20 percent stake in the Hamburg Masters.
“Apart from these major tournaments we also host a senior event besides a number of ITF Futures events keeping us busy throughout the year,” he said.
Sheikh Mohammed said he was thankful to Qatari companies for sponsoring tennis events in a big way.
“The Qatar National Bank, Qatar Airways, Qatargas, RasGas, Qatar Petroleum, Total and ExxonMobil have been our regular supporters and we are indebted to them,” he said.
Meanwhile, tickets for the Total Qatar Open will be available from today at the Qatar Tennis Federation.
Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo is the top seed at the event which has attracted its best ever field to date."
Sheikh Mohammed bin Faleh al-Thani was speaking at an informal meeting with journalists ahead of the Total Qatar Open for women beginning on February 27 in Doha.
Sania Mirza
Sheikh Mohammed said all those fanatics in India who publicly criticise the Indian star for her dress sense were missing the point completely about how the teenager has put tennis on a different pedestal.
“It is tremendous how she is inspiring an entire generation of women in India and other parts of Asia,” said the QTF chief.
“She has the same effect on people as Martina Hingis used to have when she burst upon the scene,” he added.
Sheikh Mohammed was of the opinion that Mirza, the first Muslim female in history to ever win a WTA title, would be the star attraction at the Total Qatar Open.
“Insha’llah we hope she at least reaches the final. She is a good ambassador for the game and I am sure tennis will gain from her involvement besides encouraging more women to take up the sport.
“Also she is a very mature person as you can make out from her interviews. She always says sensible things.”
Sheikh Mohammed, under whom Qatar’s involvement in the game has grown considerably, said it would be good for the Qatar Open if she does well in the event.
The QTF has a busy schedule this year with several tournaments lined up.
“We had the ExxonMobil Qatar Open for men in January and the Total Qatar Open next week which are top class events, but we are also preparing for the Second Qatar German Open in Berlin in May and the Hamburg Masters later that month,” said Sheikh Mohammed.
The Berlin tournament, a Tier One event, is completely owned by Qatar, which also has a 20 percent stake in the Hamburg Masters.
“Apart from these major tournaments we also host a senior event besides a number of ITF Futures events keeping us busy throughout the year,” he said.
Sheikh Mohammed said he was thankful to Qatari companies for sponsoring tennis events in a big way.
“The Qatar National Bank, Qatar Airways, Qatargas, RasGas, Qatar Petroleum, Total and ExxonMobil have been our regular supporters and we are indebted to them,” he said.
Meanwhile, tickets for the Total Qatar Open will be available from today at the Qatar Tennis Federation.
Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo is the top seed at the event which has attracted its best ever field to date."
Sania moves to 36th, Clijsters continues to top WTA rankings
Sania Mirza, who lost in the second round of Bangalore Open this week, has moved up two rungs to be placed 36th in the latest WTA rankings.
The Hyderabadi teengaer, who dropped six places last week, has 537.75 ranking points to her credit in the rankings released today.
The 19-year-old, who won the doubles title in Bangalore Open last night, continued to lead American Serena Williams who was languishing at 44th with 488 points.
Among other Indians, Ishaa Lakhani made a huge leap, moving up from 488 to 388 with 44 points.
The US-based Shikha Uberoi was up by one place to 161 with 171.75 ranking points.
The Bhambri sisters, Ankita and Sanaa, were placed 359th and 460th respectively. Sanaa made some improvement from last week, jumping five places with 31.25 points.
Shruti Dhawan has also moved up five places to 503.
The top ten names on the list remained unchaged with Kim Clijsters (3566 points) leading the pack followed by Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo, who has 3435 points.
Swiss Miss Martina Hingis, making a comeback after a long injury layoff, dropped two places to finish 50th this week.
Sania is slated to meet Hingis in Dubai Open first round tomorrow."
The Hyderabadi teengaer, who dropped six places last week, has 537.75 ranking points to her credit in the rankings released today.
The 19-year-old, who won the doubles title in Bangalore Open last night, continued to lead American Serena Williams who was languishing at 44th with 488 points.
Among other Indians, Ishaa Lakhani made a huge leap, moving up from 488 to 388 with 44 points.
The US-based Shikha Uberoi was up by one place to 161 with 171.75 ranking points.
The Bhambri sisters, Ankita and Sanaa, were placed 359th and 460th respectively. Sanaa made some improvement from last week, jumping five places with 31.25 points.
Shruti Dhawan has also moved up five places to 503.
The top ten names on the list remained unchaged with Kim Clijsters (3566 points) leading the pack followed by Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo, who has 3435 points.
Swiss Miss Martina Hingis, making a comeback after a long injury layoff, dropped two places to finish 50th this week.
Sania is slated to meet Hingis in Dubai Open first round tomorrow."
Sania to take on Hingis in first round of Dubai tournament
Sania Mirza would take on five-time Grand Slam champion, Martina Hingis, of Switzerland in the opening round of the Dubai Duty Free Women's Open which starts here tomorrow.
The 19-year-old Indian, ranked 38th in the world, could run into former French Open champion, Anastasia Myskina, in the next round if she manages to get past the Swiss star.
Hingis is making a comeback to competitive tennis after almost three years out due to a foot injury. The 25-year-old has already risen to 48th in the WTA rankings.
She won the inaugural edition of this tournament in 2001. Hingis reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open last month and followed it up by beating Russia's Maria Sharapova in the semi-finals of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
Sania made headlines in Dubai last year when she beat then US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia as a wild card.
The top four seeds at this year's event - Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo, defending champion Lindsay Davenport, Sharapova and Justine Henin-Hardenne - received first round byes in the 32-player tournament.
The Tier-II outdoor hardcourt event has a prize money of US$ one million.
The 19-year-old Indian, ranked 38th in the world, could run into former French Open champion, Anastasia Myskina, in the next round if she manages to get past the Swiss star.
Hingis is making a comeback to competitive tennis after almost three years out due to a foot injury. The 25-year-old has already risen to 48th in the WTA rankings.
She won the inaugural edition of this tournament in 2001. Hingis reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open last month and followed it up by beating Russia's Maria Sharapova in the semi-finals of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
Sania made headlines in Dubai last year when she beat then US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia as a wild card.
The top four seeds at this year's event - Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo, defending champion Lindsay Davenport, Sharapova and Justine Henin-Hardenne - received first round byes in the 32-player tournament.
The Tier-II outdoor hardcourt event has a prize money of US$ one million.
Sania-Huber duo in final
In front of a noisy house at the KSLTA Kingfisher Stadium that cared little for etiquette, Sania and Liezel Huber (South Africa) defeated Israel's Shahar Peer and Russia's Mariya Koryttseva 7-5, 6-7 (8-6), 6-4 on Saturday to enter the WTA Bangalore Open doubles final. The second seeds will play fourth-seeded Russian pair of Elena Vesnina and Anastassia Rodionova on Sunday.
Sania, playing the deuce court, and Huber were lucky to win against Peer-Koryttseva. Not only was the crowd partisan and disrespectful, but both players could have played better on the big points, especially in the second set tie-break, when they held a match point.
All credit to Sania and Huber, though, for putting behind the second set defeat and getting back on track in the third. Sania also compensated for her earlier misses by taking responsibility and shielding the off-form Huber from her opponents. Serving at 3-3 in the decider, Koryttseva double faulted on breakpoint. But then, Huber lost serve and the score was level at 4-4. With the crowd whistling and screaming without break, not even during points, Sania-Huber broke Peer for 5-4.
Serving for a match many thought they had lost after the heartbreaking second set, Sania kept her nerve. An excellent first serve wide to the opponents' forehand made it 15-0. Then came a hard forehand that forced a long volley. Huber, shaky so far, put away a forehand volley for 40-0. On the final point, Peer shot a backhand long.
Earlier in the singles, Sixth-seeded Jelena Kostanic made it to the title clash, beating Hungary's Melinda Czink 6-0, 7-6 (7-2) in the semi-final.
On Friday, Alona Bondarenko had stretched Czink to a third set tiebreaker. Czink, 23, had also played doubles later, getting little time to regroup for Saturday. This is not to say that the left-handed Kostanic was lucky. The 24-year-old Croatian was clever and consistent through most of the 70-minute encounter. She did not give Czink pace, and the latter only had a flailing racquet to show some of her heavy topspin forehands and serves.
Kostanic faces third seeded Mara Santangelo of Italy or Vania King of the US in the final. Czink, who's been struggling with her serve, started the match getting broken. She came close to returning the gift the next game, but Kostanic held at deuce. Hacking those brawny, hunched-shoulder forehands and backhand slices, Kostanic devoured the first set. Czink, on the other hand, was sluggish in movement and sprayed her shots around.
The second set was different. Czink held her serve in the first game. Kostanic broke in the fifth game for 3-2, but Czink broke for 4-4 and the set reached the tiebreaker. Czink had summoned her mettle against Bondarenko in the tiebreaker. She couldn't repeat it against Kostanic.
Sania, playing the deuce court, and Huber were lucky to win against Peer-Koryttseva. Not only was the crowd partisan and disrespectful, but both players could have played better on the big points, especially in the second set tie-break, when they held a match point.
All credit to Sania and Huber, though, for putting behind the second set defeat and getting back on track in the third. Sania also compensated for her earlier misses by taking responsibility and shielding the off-form Huber from her opponents. Serving at 3-3 in the decider, Koryttseva double faulted on breakpoint. But then, Huber lost serve and the score was level at 4-4. With the crowd whistling and screaming without break, not even during points, Sania-Huber broke Peer for 5-4.
Serving for a match many thought they had lost after the heartbreaking second set, Sania kept her nerve. An excellent first serve wide to the opponents' forehand made it 15-0. Then came a hard forehand that forced a long volley. Huber, shaky so far, put away a forehand volley for 40-0. On the final point, Peer shot a backhand long.
Earlier in the singles, Sixth-seeded Jelena Kostanic made it to the title clash, beating Hungary's Melinda Czink 6-0, 7-6 (7-2) in the semi-final.
On Friday, Alona Bondarenko had stretched Czink to a third set tiebreaker. Czink, 23, had also played doubles later, getting little time to regroup for Saturday. This is not to say that the left-handed Kostanic was lucky. The 24-year-old Croatian was clever and consistent through most of the 70-minute encounter. She did not give Czink pace, and the latter only had a flailing racquet to show some of her heavy topspin forehands and serves.
Kostanic faces third seeded Mara Santangelo of Italy or Vania King of the US in the final. Czink, who's been struggling with her serve, started the match getting broken. She came close to returning the gift the next game, but Kostanic held at deuce. Hacking those brawny, hunched-shoulder forehands and backhand slices, Kostanic devoured the first set. Czink, on the other hand, was sluggish in movement and sprayed her shots around.
The second set was different. Czink held her serve in the first game. Kostanic broke in the fifth game for 3-2, but Czink broke for 4-4 and the set reached the tiebreaker. Czink had summoned her mettle against Bondarenko in the tiebreaker. She couldn't repeat it against Kostanic.
Friday, February 17, 2006
"MLA wins bid to play with Sania
The7AM.com:
Karnataka MLA Santosh Lad won a bid to play alongside Sania Mirza at the Bangalore Open.
Lad bid Rs 2 lakh on an internet auction for the chance to play with super Sania.
'I came to know it was for a good cause and so I said let me contribute. Then later they told me if you could spare 10 minutes and play rallies with Sania. I said okay no problems,' said Santosh.
Sania teamed up with Lad to win the 7-point tie breaker versus Shahar Peer of Israel and her partner Gayatri.
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A bit later in the day it was back to the serious stuff as Sania and her doubles partner Liezel Huber of South Africa advanced to the semi-finals with a 7-6, 2-6, 6-4 win over Silvija Talaja and Martina Muller.
Sania has inspired several kids to take up the game of tennis and now it seems she has the same effect on politicians."
Karnataka MLA Santosh Lad won a bid to play alongside Sania Mirza at the Bangalore Open.
Lad bid Rs 2 lakh on an internet auction for the chance to play with super Sania.
'I came to know it was for a good cause and so I said let me contribute. Then later they told me if you could spare 10 minutes and play rallies with Sania. I said okay no problems,' said Santosh.
Sania teamed up with Lad to win the 7-point tie breaker versus Shahar Peer of Israel and her partner Gayatri.
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A bit later in the day it was back to the serious stuff as Sania and her doubles partner Liezel Huber of South Africa advanced to the semi-finals with a 7-6, 2-6, 6-4 win over Silvija Talaja and Martina Muller.
Sania has inspired several kids to take up the game of tennis and now it seems she has the same effect on politicians."
"Sania-Huber enter doubles semi-finals
The7AM.com:
Sania Mirza kept Indian hopes alive at the Bangalore Open. She and Lizel Huber of Russia defeated Martina Muller of Germany and Silvija Talaja of Crotia to enter the semi-finals, even as Indian hopes in the singles were shattered when Isha Lakhani, the lone survivor in the first round, was ousted in the second round on Thursday night.
In a late night match, Sania and Huber beat Muller and Silvija 7-6 (12-10), 2-6, 6-4 in the match that lasted more than an hour.
The first set saw both pairs trying to prevail upon each other but it was the Mirza-Huber pair, which succeeded. But Muller and Silvija were not willing to give up and fought back to equal by winning the second set.
However, they could not maintain their tempo against the second seeded pair and succumbed in the final set.
"
Sania Mirza kept Indian hopes alive at the Bangalore Open. She and Lizel Huber of Russia defeated Martina Muller of Germany and Silvija Talaja of Crotia to enter the semi-finals, even as Indian hopes in the singles were shattered when Isha Lakhani, the lone survivor in the first round, was ousted in the second round on Thursday night.
In a late night match, Sania and Huber beat Muller and Silvija 7-6 (12-10), 2-6, 6-4 in the match that lasted more than an hour.
The first set saw both pairs trying to prevail upon each other but it was the Mirza-Huber pair, which succeeded. But Muller and Silvija were not willing to give up and fought back to equal by winning the second set.
However, they could not maintain their tempo against the second seeded pair and succumbed in the final set.
"
Tata Indicom launches Sania Zone
The7AM.com: "Tata Indicom launches Sania Zone
MUMBAI: Tata Indicom has launched the 'Sania Zone' on its Voice Station, wherein fans can hear her speak on their Tata Indicom mobile or Walky.
Sania Zone can be accessed through the Tata Indicom Voice Station by dialing 12900 through the mobile or Walky at Rs 6 per minute.
Sania Zone provides every Tata Indicom customer an exclusive entry to Mirza's world and it not only provides information on her Tennis idols, who she enjoys playing with on the court and some of her memorable tennis moments but much beyond that.It also discusses her favourite designer, clothes, food, restaurants, holiday spot, etc."
MUMBAI: Tata Indicom has launched the 'Sania Zone' on its Voice Station, wherein fans can hear her speak on their Tata Indicom mobile or Walky.
Sania Zone can be accessed through the Tata Indicom Voice Station by dialing 12900 through the mobile or Walky at Rs 6 per minute.
Sania Zone provides every Tata Indicom customer an exclusive entry to Mirza's world and it not only provides information on her Tennis idols, who she enjoys playing with on the court and some of her memorable tennis moments but much beyond that.It also discusses her favourite designer, clothes, food, restaurants, holiday spot, etc."
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Pin pierces Sania bubble
Nineteen-year-old Sania Mirza, the darling of the crowds, declared the Bangalore Open closed in front of a stunned crowd at the KSLTA stadium courts on Wednesday evening.
The error-prone teenager, the top seed at the WTA Tour Tier III event, looking anything but the player who had captivated the hearts of millions of Indians around the world with her stunning exploits, crashed out of the tournament to little-known Camille Pin of France 6-1, 5-7, 2-6 in the pre-quarterfinals.
The success of the $175,000 tournament depended entirely on Sania. For, only she had it in her to draw the crowds. But with her exit, it looks the remainder of the tournament is likely to be played in front of empty galleries. The loss of the second-seeded Shahar Peer, winner of the Pattaya Open last Sunday, was another body blow for the organisers.
During the second part of the Sania-Pin clash, the hardcourts at the KSLTA began to resemble the famous French clay. Outplayed and outthought in the initial part, the 24-year-old Pin, who had no weapon at all in her armoury, needed to come up with something different to stay alive in the match, and quickly at that.
That precisely was what the French player did. The high lobs were her saviour. Pin knew she didn't have the power to match the Indian and hit winners. She also knew that the Indian loved to finish off the rallies pretty quickly. But what she knew was that the Indian was a little impatient.
Good game plan
The 110th-ranked player was spot on with her game plan. She tested Sania's patience with her moon balls and forced her into errors. Blanked 6-1 in the first set of the mediocre encounter, Pin began the repair work when down 3-5 in the second set. Helping her cause was an elbow injury to the Indian, suffered when she went for an overhead in the sixth game of the first set.
"Sania hits pretty heavy. My brain was working overtime and I decided to go for the high lobs and force Sania into errors," said the elated French player.
Sania just played right into her hands. To make matters worse, frustrated at the turn of events, the errors just flowed from her racquet. The Indian lost the plot totally and even the urgings from the spectators could not help her.
Down 3-5 in the second set, Pin, riding on Sania's largesse — four straight errors — broke the Indian in the ninth game and then held serve in the next — for only the second time in the match — to level scores at 5-5. Pin broke again in the 11 th game, courtesy a wrong call by the line judge, to go up 6-5.
Pin took the second set 7-5 and pushed the issue to the decider. Sania was looking more and more exasperated. She was just not prepared to handle the high returns, and became more and more error-prone. That seemed to suit the French player fine. From 2-2 in the decider, Pin won the next four games. In the eighth game, Sania made a brave fightback, saving three match points, but hit a backhand wide to hand the match to Pin.
For the record, Sania had just 38 winners, but an astonishing 85 errors came from her racquet. Pin had only 49 errors and even fewer winners – 13 to be precise. But the French girl was a winner by a mile as far as strategy was concerned.
“Hats off to her,” Sania said masking the disappointment. “She played the best she could.”
“I guess she did what she had to do,” the Indian added referring to the moon-ball strategy Pin employed. “I tried to go in, I tried to lob, that’s not how I play,” Sania explained.
“I guess I need to be more patient. Probably, start adapting to that kind of players. That’s something I need to learn.”
Sania, however, remains in contention in the doubles, making the quarterfinals along with Liesel Huber.
Earlier, second-seeded Peer was beaten 4-6, 2-6 by Italian Maria Elena Camerin in the first round.
The error-prone teenager, the top seed at the WTA Tour Tier III event, looking anything but the player who had captivated the hearts of millions of Indians around the world with her stunning exploits, crashed out of the tournament to little-known Camille Pin of France 6-1, 5-7, 2-6 in the pre-quarterfinals.
The success of the $175,000 tournament depended entirely on Sania. For, only she had it in her to draw the crowds. But with her exit, it looks the remainder of the tournament is likely to be played in front of empty galleries. The loss of the second-seeded Shahar Peer, winner of the Pattaya Open last Sunday, was another body blow for the organisers.
During the second part of the Sania-Pin clash, the hardcourts at the KSLTA began to resemble the famous French clay. Outplayed and outthought in the initial part, the 24-year-old Pin, who had no weapon at all in her armoury, needed to come up with something different to stay alive in the match, and quickly at that.
That precisely was what the French player did. The high lobs were her saviour. Pin knew she didn't have the power to match the Indian and hit winners. She also knew that the Indian loved to finish off the rallies pretty quickly. But what she knew was that the Indian was a little impatient.
Good game plan
The 110th-ranked player was spot on with her game plan. She tested Sania's patience with her moon balls and forced her into errors. Blanked 6-1 in the first set of the mediocre encounter, Pin began the repair work when down 3-5 in the second set. Helping her cause was an elbow injury to the Indian, suffered when she went for an overhead in the sixth game of the first set.
"Sania hits pretty heavy. My brain was working overtime and I decided to go for the high lobs and force Sania into errors," said the elated French player.
Sania just played right into her hands. To make matters worse, frustrated at the turn of events, the errors just flowed from her racquet. The Indian lost the plot totally and even the urgings from the spectators could not help her.
Down 3-5 in the second set, Pin, riding on Sania's largesse — four straight errors — broke the Indian in the ninth game and then held serve in the next — for only the second time in the match — to level scores at 5-5. Pin broke again in the 11 th game, courtesy a wrong call by the line judge, to go up 6-5.
Pin took the second set 7-5 and pushed the issue to the decider. Sania was looking more and more exasperated. She was just not prepared to handle the high returns, and became more and more error-prone. That seemed to suit the French player fine. From 2-2 in the decider, Pin won the next four games. In the eighth game, Sania made a brave fightback, saving three match points, but hit a backhand wide to hand the match to Pin.
For the record, Sania had just 38 winners, but an astonishing 85 errors came from her racquet. Pin had only 49 errors and even fewer winners – 13 to be precise. But the French girl was a winner by a mile as far as strategy was concerned.
“Hats off to her,” Sania said masking the disappointment. “She played the best she could.”
“I guess she did what she had to do,” the Indian added referring to the moon-ball strategy Pin employed. “I tried to go in, I tried to lob, that’s not how I play,” Sania explained.
“I guess I need to be more patient. Probably, start adapting to that kind of players. That’s something I need to learn.”
Sania, however, remains in contention in the doubles, making the quarterfinals along with Liesel Huber.
Earlier, second-seeded Peer was beaten 4-6, 2-6 by Italian Maria Elena Camerin in the first round.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Sania: I want to maintain ranking
Bangalore: Sania Mirza on Tuesday said she expected a tough season ahead and indicated that her priority was to ensure that her WTA ranking does not slip further this year.
“I just want to stay at the ranking that I am in,” the 19-year-old told reporters after her first round victory at the $175,000 Bangalore Open.
“Second year is much harder than the first. Every year, things are getting harder. I just try to give my best. I will do my job.”
In the latest WTA rankings, Sania slipped from 32 to 38.
The Hyderbadi admitted that Indian sportsmen were under tremendous pressure while performing at home because of huge expectations.
“When you play cricket in India, it’s very hard too,” she said. “It’s hard for any athlete to play at home. So many people watch,” Sania said, but added “You have to come through the pressure.”
Sania into Round II
 |
| Sania Mirza returns during the WTA Bangalore Open on Tuesday. The top-seeded Indian defeated German Martina Muller 6-2, 6-2. (AFP) |
Bangalore: Top seed Sania Mirza advanced to the second round of the $175,000 Bangalore Open with a crushing 6-2, 6-2 victory over Germany’s Martina Muller.
Sania, world No. 38, asserted her supremacy over her unseeded opponent, ranked 102, with an authoritative display, enthralling the crowd at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association courts on Tuesday night.
“It was a good match for me. I wanted to wrap it up early and have an early night. But she (Muller) fought well,” Sania said.
It was a mixed day for the Indian players. While Isha Lakhani advanced to the second round, compatriot Ankita Bhambri fell by the wayside.
The day also saw fourth seeded Sybille Bammer of Austria and eighth seeded Emma Laine of Finland making their exits from the Tier III WTA event.
Isha, a wild card entrant, was leading 4-1 in the first set when her Slovakian rival, world No. 296 Katarina Kachlikova, pulled out after aggravating an eye infection.
“I am lucky,” Isha said. “The win would have been more credible had I won playing.”
Isha, taking part in her fourth WTA tournament, said, “I have nothing to lose. All I can gain is experience.”
The 488th ranked Indian will now clash with Ukraine’s Yullana Fedak for a place in the quarter finals.
Fedak, the 19-year-old from Helsinki, advanced after Laine retired after complaining of acute tonsillitis. Fedak was leading 6-3, 3-1 at that stage.
Unseeded Russian Anastassia Rodionova shocked Bammer, the world number 65, 6-4, 5-7, 6-0. Though Bammer came back strongly in the second set, she could not stop the Russian from wrapping up the match.
In an evening match, Ankita, another Indian wild card entrant, went down fighting to Estonia’s Kala Kanepi 5-7, 3-6. The Indian girl erred on crucial occasions to surrender the advantage to her opponent. The Estonian tightened her grip in the second set as a tired-looking Ankita’s attempts to rally did not succeed.
Qualifier Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia posted a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand to move into the second round.Former coach rules out possibilities of Sania-Bhupathi partnership
| |
 Former national tennis Coach Akhtar Ali ruled out the possibility of Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza partnering each other in any international mixed-double match as the prize money at stake is will force Bhupathi to look for a better partner. The former Davis Cup player was also critical of the furore raised over Sania's tennis attire and said the controversy was a bid to divert her focus from tennis. ''But thankfully Sania has tackled the situation wisely and has not allowed it to affect her game,'' he told reporters after inaugurating a tennis academy in Dehradun yesterday. Talking about the Hyderabadi girl's weaknesses he said her physique was one of her draw backs but now she was working on it and by a year or so she would improve. He said to improve the quality of tennis in the country, the association has started concentrating on youngsters between the age of 14 and 16 and pushing them to play in senior groups as soon as they prove themselves at the junior level so as to boost their confidence and augment learning process. |
Sania slips to 38th place in WTA rankings
New Delhi: After her second round exit from the WTA Tier II tournament in Paris, Sania Mirza dropped six places to 38th in the latest WTA rankings even though the Indian ace continues to rank above Serena Williams, who languishes at the 44th spot. Sania now has 522.75 ranking points and the 19-year-old will be playing in the Bangalore Open.
he top 10 names in the list remain unchanged with Belgian Kim Clijsters continuing to lead the pack. She has 3478 ranking points and is followed by Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo (3435). American Lindsay Davenport and Russian Maria Sharapova are third and fourth with 2803 and 2615 points respectively.
Meanwhile, the other Indians in the list continue to languish in lowly positions with very little upward movement. The US-based Shikha Uberoi has come down two places to 162 with 171.75 ranking points. Ankita Bhambri (52.25) has improved from last week's 361st position to be at 358. Sister Sanaa (31.25), however, has dropped eight places to finish at 465th place.
Veteran Fed Cupper Rushmi Chakravarthi (49.25) is down two places at 372, according to ifnromation received here. Isha Lakhani and Shruti Dhawan are way down at 488th and 508th spots respectively.
he top 10 names in the list remain unchanged with Belgian Kim Clijsters continuing to lead the pack. She has 3478 ranking points and is followed by Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo (3435). American Lindsay Davenport and Russian Maria Sharapova are third and fourth with 2803 and 2615 points respectively.
Meanwhile, the other Indians in the list continue to languish in lowly positions with very little upward movement. The US-based Shikha Uberoi has come down two places to 162 with 171.75 ranking points. Ankita Bhambri (52.25) has improved from last week's 361st position to be at 358. Sister Sanaa (31.25), however, has dropped eight places to finish at 465th place.
Veteran Fed Cupper Rushmi Chakravarthi (49.25) is down two places at 372, according to ifnromation received here. Isha Lakhani and Shruti Dhawan are way down at 488th and 508th spots respectively.
Bid and grab chance to play with Sania
Bangalore: Tennis buffs will get a rare opportunity to play against Sania Mirza if they emerge the highest bidder in an auction for a noble cause.
Sania would play a game of Pro-Am tennis with the highest bidder on February 16, 2006 at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) Centre, where the 1,75,000 dollars WTA Bangalore Open Tennis Tournament is in progress.
KSLTA Honorary Secretary Sunder Raju said in a release here that ''the successful bidder gets to play a game with Sania in a ceremonial match, where Vijay Amritraj will be the Master of Ceremonies, before cameras that will capture the action live to take it to millions of sports lovers across the world.''
Stating that the bid money would go towards fulfilling KSLTA's mission of bringing tennis closer to rural children of Karnataka, he said one need not be a tennis player to play with Sania as two hours of training would be given to the successful bidder.
The bid, starting at Rs 99,000 on the ebay platform, had opened and would close on February 15 at 4 p.m.
Sania would play a game of Pro-Am tennis with the highest bidder on February 16, 2006 at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) Centre, where the 1,75,000 dollars WTA Bangalore Open Tennis Tournament is in progress.
KSLTA Honorary Secretary Sunder Raju said in a release here that ''the successful bidder gets to play a game with Sania in a ceremonial match, where Vijay Amritraj will be the Master of Ceremonies, before cameras that will capture the action live to take it to millions of sports lovers across the world.''
Stating that the bid money would go towards fulfilling KSLTA's mission of bringing tennis closer to rural children of Karnataka, he said one need not be a tennis player to play with Sania as two hours of training would be given to the successful bidder.
The bid, starting at Rs 99,000 on the ebay platform, had opened and would close on February 15 at 4 p.m.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
"Bangalore Open: Easy draw for Sania
Defending champion Sania Mirza will have a relatively easy outing in the first round against world number 104 Martina Muller of Germany as the Bangalore Open, a USD 175,000 WTA Tier-III event, takes off tomorrow.
The 19-year-old and the world number 32, who won the Tier-IV event held at her hometown of Hyderabad last year, is expected to cross the first hurdle without much difficulty at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association courts.
The host nation’s Ankita Bhambri, ranked 361 in the world, and Rushmi Chakravarty (370), both wild card entrants, are pitted against strong opponents as per the draw in the the Sony Ericsson WTA Tier III event.
Ankita is clashing with Kaia Kanepi (94) of Estonia, who was a semi-finalist at the Sunfeast Tier III WTA event at Kolkata in September last year.
Rushmi meets Hungary’s Melinda Czink (119), who had reached the quarter-final at the Kolkata event beating Sania.
The third Indian wild-card entry in the main draw, Isha Lakhani (482) would fight it out with a qualifier to secure a second round berth.
The winner takes home USD 28,000 and collects 120 points.
The event has failed to generate any pre-tournament excitement and a build-up appears to be glaringly missing, in sharp contrast to last year’s spectacle at Hyderabad that evoked considerable interest.
Organisers Globosport, the sports management company set up by doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi, are expecting Sania to pull in the crowds."
The 19-year-old and the world number 32, who won the Tier-IV event held at her hometown of Hyderabad last year, is expected to cross the first hurdle without much difficulty at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association courts.
The host nation’s Ankita Bhambri, ranked 361 in the world, and Rushmi Chakravarty (370), both wild card entrants, are pitted against strong opponents as per the draw in the the Sony Ericsson WTA Tier III event.
Ankita is clashing with Kaia Kanepi (94) of Estonia, who was a semi-finalist at the Sunfeast Tier III WTA event at Kolkata in September last year.
Rushmi meets Hungary’s Melinda Czink (119), who had reached the quarter-final at the Kolkata event beating Sania.
The third Indian wild-card entry in the main draw, Isha Lakhani (482) would fight it out with a qualifier to secure a second round berth.
The winner takes home USD 28,000 and collects 120 points.
The event has failed to generate any pre-tournament excitement and a build-up appears to be glaringly missing, in sharp contrast to last year’s spectacle at Hyderabad that evoked considerable interest.
Organisers Globosport, the sports management company set up by doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi, are expecting Sania to pull in the crowds."
The7AM.com: "Coca Cola's sprite signs Sania for TV commercial
After endorsing Hyundai Getz and Tata Tea, tennis sensation Sania Mirza has been signed by soft drink giant Coca Cola for its product 'Sprite'
'The company believes that this campaign will connect with today's youth, all of whom have realised that they need to work hard to achieve their desired goals instead of sitting around waiting for a miracle to happen,' Coca Cola Vice President Marketing Vikas Gupta said in a statement.
Sania has become a youth icon at the young age of 19 through her sheer hard work and an honest attitude. She matches sprite's inherent brand DNA, hence becoming an ideal platform for the product's this year campaign, he said.
He said the company admires Sania not only for her game but also for the direct speak and unpretentious approach to her achievements.
'Sprite is a no-nonsense brand-with an in-your-face and chilled out approach to life. The current commercial retains this them, yet interestingly incorporates Sania into the story,' he added.
'Honestly, sprite has been my favourite drink. It has stood for a refreshing youthful attitude-one that I identify with. Being a part of the sprite's current campaign is quite exciting for me,' Sania said.
The commercial would go on-air from February 11 and has been produced by Sabal Sheikhawat and the creative agency handling Sprite is Ogilvy & Mather."
'The company believes that this campaign will connect with today's youth, all of whom have realised that they need to work hard to achieve their desired goals instead of sitting around waiting for a miracle to happen,' Coca Cola Vice President Marketing Vikas Gupta said in a statement.
Sania has become a youth icon at the young age of 19 through her sheer hard work and an honest attitude. She matches sprite's inherent brand DNA, hence becoming an ideal platform for the product's this year campaign, he said.
He said the company admires Sania not only for her game but also for the direct speak and unpretentious approach to her achievements.
'Sprite is a no-nonsense brand-with an in-your-face and chilled out approach to life. The current commercial retains this them, yet interestingly incorporates Sania into the story,' he added.
'Honestly, sprite has been my favourite drink. It has stood for a refreshing youthful attitude-one that I identify with. Being a part of the sprite's current campaign is quite exciting for me,' Sania said.
The commercial would go on-air from February 11 and has been produced by Sabal Sheikhawat and the creative agency handling Sprite is Ogilvy & Mather."
Friday, February 10, 2006
Sania's Paris campaign over with doubles loss
Sania Mirza and her South African partner Liezel Huber went down fighting to the US-Italian pair of Tathiana Garbin and Mashona Washington in the doubles quarterfinal of the $600,000 WTA Tier II tournament.
The Indo-South African pair lost 7-6 (8/6), 3-6, 6-7 (5/7) in the more than two hour long match.
Sania and Liezel started off well, breaking their opponents twice in the first set, but lost their way and allowed Tathiana and Mashona to come back. The US-italian pair broke back twice and took the set into tie break.
The Indo-South African pair won the tie-breaker but could not seize the momentum and Tathiana and Mashona stormed through the second set breaking their opponents thrice before finishing it off with a 6-3 win.
The see-saw match than went into the third set which followed the pattern of the first set with both pairs breaking each other twice. It was hard to pick the winner at that time and the tension had begun to show on the players as well, who questioned several line calls by the umpire.
The set went into tie break, which saw Tathiana and Mashona prevail over Sania and Leizel. The long battle had clearly taken its toll on the Sania-Leizel pair, which ultimately surrendered to their unseeded opponents.
Tathiana and Mashona will now take on French Emilie Loit and Czech Kveta Peschke, who beat the Russian pair of Vera Dushevina and Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-2, in the semi finals on Friday.
Sania had earlier bowed out of the singles competition losing her second round match to local favourite Tatiana Golovin and the doubles loss on Friday ended the Indian ace's campaign at the tier II event.
In the other matches, Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo stormed into the singles semifinals beating Russian Dinara Safina 6-2, 6-2. Another local favourite Mary Pierce beat compatriot Emilie Loit 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4) to join Mauresmo in the semi-final draw.
While Mauresmo will take on Golovin, Pierce will square off against Swiss Patty Schnyder.
Sania is Deutsche Bank's new product ambassador in India
http://www.the7am.com/news/articles/?id=4834
Mumbai: Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza has been signed up to promote Deutsche Bank's retail banking products and services in the country.
Bank's Managing Director and CEO Gunit Chadha said Sania's popularity as an icon of talent, determination and success is expected to resonate with the banks clients and will provide an impetus to their fast establishing retail presence in India.
'I look forward to working with them to promote their retail banking services to a large number of customers in the country,'' she was quoted in a release as saying.
As a product ambassador, Sania will exclusively partner Deutsche Bank across the spectrum of retail products and services. She will endorse the bank's retail offerings through advertisements, events and personal appearances, the release said.
Mumbai: Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza has been signed up to promote Deutsche Bank's retail banking products and services in the country.
Bank's Managing Director and CEO Gunit Chadha said Sania's popularity as an icon of talent, determination and success is expected to resonate with the banks clients and will provide an impetus to their fast establishing retail presence in India.
'I look forward to working with them to promote their retail banking services to a large number of customers in the country,'' she was quoted in a release as saying.
As a product ambassador, Sania will exclusively partner Deutsche Bank across the spectrum of retail products and services. She will endorse the bank's retail offerings through advertisements, events and personal appearances, the release said.
Sania loses to Golovin
France's Tatiana Golovin has defeated Sania Mirza 6-4, 6-2 in the second round of the Gaz de France Open.
With this win, the Frenchwoman has entered the quarterfinals where she will face No.3 seed Nadia Petrova.
In another match , Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo defeated Vera Dushevina of Russia 6-2, 6-2 to move into the quarterfinals.
The top-seeded Frenchwoman will meet defending champion Dinara Safina in a replay of last year's final. The Russian beat France's Virginie Razzano 6-4, 6-3 in the second round.
"I took things seriously right from the start," Mauresmo said. "I focused on my game, on what I needed to do today. I played at a good level, while preventing her from developing her game,'' she added.
The second-ranked Mauresmo broke Dushevina three times in the first set with her heavy topspin. The Frenchwoman's powerful groundstrokes continued in the second to win in 1 hour.
Dementieva wins
Fifth-seeded Elena Dementieva also advanced to the quarterfinals, edging Nathalie Dechy of France 7-6, 6-4.
Dementieva will face fourth-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, who beat qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova 6-2, 6-4.
Dechy, ranked 20th, pressured Dementieva's serve in the first set, breaking her in the second and sixth games for a 4-2 lead.
At 5-3, Dechy missed an easy volley and drop shot, and Dementieva broke back on a backhand the Frenchwoman sent into the net.Both players then held serve to force a tiebreaker. A passing shot and forehand winner helped Dementieva lead 4-2 and the Russian eventually took it 7-3 on unforced errors by Dechy.
Both players dropped serve before Dementieva finished off the match with a consistent serve and a powerful forehand, converting her first match point with a return winner on the line.
In another second-round match, Schnyder got the better of Pironkova in baseline exchanges with her powerful forehand.
She converted three of seven break points in the first set, but needed to wait until the ninth game in the second to break again.
Third-seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia also advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Anna Smashnova of Israel.
Smashnova had trouble with her serve, dropping the second game on a double fault.
Petrova held her serve in the third game for a 3-0 lead, but couldn't convert break points in the next game, allowing Smashnova to rally.
Smashnova broke back in the seventh game on a string of unforced errors by her Russian opponent, and went level at 4-4. But a wide backhand by Smashnova at 5-4 and 30-40 helped Petrova win a tight first set in 55 minutes.
Petrova finally took control in the second set, breaking Smashnova twice.
With this win, the Frenchwoman has entered the quarterfinals where she will face No.3 seed Nadia Petrova.
In another match , Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo defeated Vera Dushevina of Russia 6-2, 6-2 to move into the quarterfinals.
The top-seeded Frenchwoman will meet defending champion Dinara Safina in a replay of last year's final. The Russian beat France's Virginie Razzano 6-4, 6-3 in the second round.
"I took things seriously right from the start," Mauresmo said. "I focused on my game, on what I needed to do today. I played at a good level, while preventing her from developing her game,'' she added.
The second-ranked Mauresmo broke Dushevina three times in the first set with her heavy topspin. The Frenchwoman's powerful groundstrokes continued in the second to win in 1 hour.
Dementieva wins
Fifth-seeded Elena Dementieva also advanced to the quarterfinals, edging Nathalie Dechy of France 7-6, 6-4.
Dementieva will face fourth-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, who beat qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova 6-2, 6-4.
Dechy, ranked 20th, pressured Dementieva's serve in the first set, breaking her in the second and sixth games for a 4-2 lead.
At 5-3, Dechy missed an easy volley and drop shot, and Dementieva broke back on a backhand the Frenchwoman sent into the net.Both players then held serve to force a tiebreaker. A passing shot and forehand winner helped Dementieva lead 4-2 and the Russian eventually took it 7-3 on unforced errors by Dechy.
Both players dropped serve before Dementieva finished off the match with a consistent serve and a powerful forehand, converting her first match point with a return winner on the line.
In another second-round match, Schnyder got the better of Pironkova in baseline exchanges with her powerful forehand.
She converted three of seven break points in the first set, but needed to wait until the ninth game in the second to break again.
Third-seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia also advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Anna Smashnova of Israel.
Smashnova had trouble with her serve, dropping the second game on a double fault.
Petrova held her serve in the third game for a 3-0 lead, but couldn't convert break points in the next game, allowing Smashnova to rally.
Smashnova broke back in the seventh game on a string of unforced errors by her Russian opponent, and went level at 4-4. But a wide backhand by Smashnova at 5-4 and 30-40 helped Petrova win a tight first set in 55 minutes.
Petrova finally took control in the second set, breaking Smashnova twice.
Sania Mirza of India against Tatiana Golovin
Sania Mirza of India rushes to the net during her match against Tatiana Golovin of France at the Paris Open at Pierre de Coubertin stadium, February 9, 2006.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Sania returns to action with a win
Sania Mirza made a successful return to the courts with a straight-set victory in the women’s doubles first round at the $600,000 WTA Tour tennis event in Paris today.
Sania, who took a week off after the Australian Open Grand Slam to recuperate from her left-knee tendinitis, combined with Liezel Huber of South Africa to defeat Liga Dekmeijere of Latvia and Jasmin Woehr of Germany 6-1, 6-4 in the Tier-II hardcourt event.The 19-year old Indian is slated to play Flavia Penetta, the Italian sixth seed, in the singles first round of the 32-draw event which has home favourite and Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo and compatriot Mary Pierce as the top two seeds.
Sania, despite the lay-off, saw her ranking move up two places to be 32 after the weekly updates on the WTA computer.
Sania, who took a week off after the Australian Open Grand Slam to recuperate from her left-knee tendinitis, combined with Liezel Huber of South Africa to defeat Liga Dekmeijere of Latvia and Jasmin Woehr of Germany 6-1, 6-4 in the Tier-II hardcourt event.The 19-year old Indian is slated to play Flavia Penetta, the Italian sixth seed, in the singles first round of the 32-draw event which has home favourite and Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo and compatriot Mary Pierce as the top two seeds.
Sania, despite the lay-off, saw her ranking move up two places to be 32 after the weekly updates on the WTA computer.
Sania back at 32nd, ranks above Serena
Sania Mirza climbed two rungs to claim the 32nd spot in the latest WTA Tour Singles Rankings and the Indian tennis ace is currently sitting five places above Serena Williams.
Sania had earlier dropped to 34 following her disastrous Australian Open campaign where she was knocked out in the second round of the singles competition.
However, the Hyderabadi teen has regained the 32nd spot this week with 592.75 ranking points, above 37th ranked Serena (537).
Belgian Kim Clijsters continues to top the list with 3478 points followed by Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo (3377) of France.Swiss-Miss Martina Hingis, making a comeback after a long injury layoff, has leapfrogged from last week's 117th position to be at 48th this week with 440 points.
American Lindsay Davenport and Russian Maria Sharapova remain static at third and fourth positions respectively.
US-based Shikha Uberoi is the next Indian in the list after Sania, dropping two places to 160th with 171.75 ranking points.
The Bhambri sisters, Ankita and Sanaa, are at 361st and 457th positions respectively.
Rushmi Chakravarthi is on 370 climbing five places with 50.25 points. Isha Lakhani has also improved her standing jumping from 509 to 482 followed by Shruti Dawan at 483.
Sania had earlier dropped to 34 following her disastrous Australian Open campaign where she was knocked out in the second round of the singles competition.
However, the Hyderabadi teen has regained the 32nd spot this week with 592.75 ranking points, above 37th ranked Serena (537).
Belgian Kim Clijsters continues to top the list with 3478 points followed by Australian Open champion Amelie Mauresmo (3377) of France.Swiss-Miss Martina Hingis, making a comeback after a long injury layoff, has leapfrogged from last week's 117th position to be at 48th this week with 440 points.
American Lindsay Davenport and Russian Maria Sharapova remain static at third and fourth positions respectively.
US-based Shikha Uberoi is the next Indian in the list after Sania, dropping two places to 160th with 171.75 ranking points.
The Bhambri sisters, Ankita and Sanaa, are at 361st and 457th positions respectively.
Rushmi Chakravarthi is on 370 climbing five places with 50.25 points. Isha Lakhani has also improved her standing jumping from 509 to 482 followed by Shruti Dawan at 483.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Stress on Sania's feats, not dress: Muslim women board
Lucknow: Reacting to the reported fatwa by some Muslim clerics on Sania Mirza's on-court attire, the All-India Muslim Women's Personal Law Board on Thursday said the emphasis should be on the tennis sensation's achievements and not her dress.
It, however, flayed the display of inappropriate attire on fashion runways and was not in favour of modelling as a career for women.
"As advocates and doctors follow their own dress code, Sania Mirza, being a sportperson, is following the dress code meant for her," AIMWPLB president Shaista Amber said in Lucknow on Thursday.
Sania had earned a name for the country at the global level and "emphasis should, therefore, be on her achievements and not on her on-court dress," she said.
Amber said the tennis ace had not dressing in a similar fashion in her personal life, "proving that what she is wearing while playing is as per the needs and requirements of the sport".
The AIMWPLB president was, however, critical of skimpily -clad women participating in fashion shows and taking up modelling as a career. "It is unislamic. There is no need for them to dress up like this yet they do it... This is wrong," she said.
It, however, flayed the display of inappropriate attire on fashion runways and was not in favour of modelling as a career for women.
"As advocates and doctors follow their own dress code, Sania Mirza, being a sportperson, is following the dress code meant for her," AIMWPLB president Shaista Amber said in Lucknow on Thursday.
Sania had earned a name for the country at the global level and "emphasis should, therefore, be on her achievements and not on her on-court dress," she said.
Amber said the tennis ace had not dressing in a similar fashion in her personal life, "proving that what she is wearing while playing is as per the needs and requirements of the sport".
The AIMWPLB president was, however, critical of skimpily -clad women participating in fashion shows and taking up modelling as a career. "It is unislamic. There is no need for them to dress up like this yet they do it... This is wrong," she said.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Fatwa against Sania meaningless: AIMPLB
Rubbishing the reported fatwa against Sania Mirza's on-court attire, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Wednesday said it does not come under the purview of Muslim personal law.
"Every sports has its specific dress code and it does not come under the purview of the Muslim personal laws," AIMPLB General Secretary Maulana Nizamuddin told a news agency in Lucknow.
"Fatwas on such issues carry no meaning," he said referring to an edict issued by a Muslim cleric some time back against Mirza's dress while playing on court.
Following the meeting of its Islah-e-ma'ashra (Reforms in Muslim society) committee on Tuesday, the Board also demanded abolition of Article 44 of the Constitution pertaining to uniform civil code.
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