Sania Mirza reacts during the women's singles final of the Asian Hopman Cup

Sania Mirza reacts during the women's singles final of the Asian Hopman Cup in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad November 26, 2006

Sania Mirza in a hijab

Sania included among top 10 tennis beauties of the world

The Chinese media has included Sania Mirza among the world's all-time 'Top 10 Tennis Beauties' along with Russian star Maria Sharapova and former player Gabriela Sabatini.

Sania figured 10th in the list carried out by the official Xinhua news agency.

The Indian star, currently ranked 66 in the world, was shown wearing a traditional Indian dress as well as donning a skimpy tennis attire, a picture apparently shot during a Grand Slam Championship.

The ten who figured in the list in order: Gabriela Sabatini, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Anna Kournikova, Martina Hingis, Daniela Hantuchova, Mary Pierce, Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin-Hardenne and Sania Mirza.

Sania beat Hwang to give 1-0 lead to India in Hopman cup

Sania Mirza defeated I Hsuan Hwang 6-2, 6-4 in the women's singles to put India 1-0 up against Chinese Taipei in the inaugural Asian Hopman Cup at the SAAP Tennis Complex here today.

Sania, recovering from last night's fever, was not in her elements but notched up a convincing 6-2 6-4 win against her opponent, ranked 316 in world.

Sania broke Hwang in the 5th and 7th games in the first set with huge applause from the spectators.

In the second set, Sania drew first blood and broke Hwang in the the very first game and then held her serve to lead 2-0 to the delight of the capacity crowd.

Hwang engaged Sania in long rallies but despite her slight illness, Sania played well to live up to her reputation to take the second set 6-4.

"I was not feeling well. Had fever last night and am feeling weak", Sania said after the match.

"I did not have energy to pick up some of the serves. Now I am feeling a bit better, hope I will be recover fully for the mixed doubles", she said.

Rohan Boppanna will play the men's singles against Ti Chen followed by mixed doubles. The winner of the tournament will get a wild card entry into the Hopman Cup to be played in Sydney.

Sania takes india 2 final

Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna continued with their blistering form as India thrashed Japan 3-0 to book their berth in the final of the inaugural Asia Hopman Cup mixed team tennis championships in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Top seed India will play Chinese Taipei in the summit clash on Sunday, the latter blanking Thailand to come through at the SAAP Tennis Complex.

Sania, 66th-ranked Indian who won her first WTA title in 2005, defeated Japanese rival Tomoko 7-5, 6-2 in the women's singles in an hour and 15 minutes.

Davis Cupper Rohan Bopanna, who is ranked 259 on the ATP Tour, overcame Yuihi Sugita 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 in the men's singles.

In the doubles, Sania and Bopanna thrashed Tomoko and Sugita 6-0, 6-1 in just 39 minutes.

Sania was a bit shaky in the first set as she was broken twice but compensated for that by breaking her rival thrice, in the first, seventh and 11th games.

The 20-year old Hyderabadi dominated the proceedings in the second set with three service breaks in the third, fifth and seventh games.

For Chienese Taipei, I-Hsuan HWang defeated Nudnida Luanenam of Thailand 6-2, 6-1 in the women's singles before Ti Chen accounted for Weerapat Doakmaiklee 6-1, 6-4 in the men's singles against Thailand.

Thailand then conceded the mixed doubles.

Sania to team with Bopanna

Sania Mirza will team with Rohan Bopanna when India takes on the Chinese challenge of Mao-Xin Gong and Shuia Zhang in the Asian Hopman Cup 2006 mixed team competition, beginning in Hyderabad on Thursday.

"Sania will team with Bopanna, after Leander Paes withdrew from the tournament in view of injuries to his index finger," All India Tennis Association secretary-general Anil Khanna said.

Six teams from China, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, the Philippines and hosts India are taking part in the event.

Uzbekistan opted out in view of the Asian Games, Khanna said.

The winning team will get a wild card entry into the Hopman Cup tournament, to be held at Perth, Australia, from December 30.

The tournament will feature men's and women's singles matches followed by a mixed doubles.

Two groups of three teams will play a round-robin in the tournament that carries prize-money of US $70,000.

Sania slips one spot to 67

After moving up three places in the season-ending WTA list last week, Sania Mirza again slipped one rung to 67 in the latest WTA singles rankings announced on Monday.

After a miserable year, which saw her start at a career-best 31st ranked, Sania has 382 points.

The 19-year-old Indian held on to her 24th spot in the doubles rankings with a total of 1,070 points.

Leander Paes, who along with his Czech partner Martin Damm bowed out in the semi-finals of the ATP Masters in Shanghai, is still in 12th place with 3285 points.

Mahesh Bhupathi occupies 30th spot with 1,400 points.

Sania wins invitational doubles tournament

Siliguri, Tennis icon Sania Mirza teamed up with compatriot Rushmi Chakravorty to beat the American duo Neha and Sikha Uberoi and win in the doubles of the Videocon Invitational Challenge Tennis Tournament at the Siliguri Indoor Stadium here this evening.

The Sania-Rushmi pair beat the Uberoi sisters 5-7, 6-4 and 10-8 in a close contest.

In the singles, Sikha beat her 20-year-old sibling Neha, 6-4 in a single set match, while in a friendly tie Sania got the better of her mentor Mahesh Bhupati, 7-5.

The winning doubles pair got the Rs.1,25,000 prize money, while the runners-up had to be content with Rs.75,000. All the four players were given attractive trophies.

Sania, ranked 66 in the world now, obviously commanded the most attention from the crowd and drew loud cheers as she asked in Bengali if they (crowd) were all well. More applause followed as she asked if they would like her to play in Siliguri again.

Doubles specialist Bhupathi, who was the special guest, congratulated the local administration and the people of Siliguri for making the event a grand success.

On behalf of the two Uberoi sisters, Sikha thanked the organisers for their effort.

The singles and doubles matches were played on a special Globosport green sheet made of quality timbre used recently in the Sunfeast Open in Kolkata.

The prizes were given away by West Bengal Urban Development Minister, Ashoke Bhattacharya and the Mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation Bikash Ghosh.

Sania to star in Videocon tennis tourney

Siliguri, Nov. 17 (PTI): Sania Mirza will be the chief attraction at the Videocon Invitation Challenge Tennis Tournament starting here tomorrow at the Siliguri indoor stadium.

Besides competing with the likes of Rushmi Chakravarthy, world no. 66 Sania will also play a friendly tie with men's doubles Grand Slam champions Mahesh Bhupathi in the event which is organised by the Siliguri Municipal Corporation.

The mayor of SMC, Bikash Ghosh, said that the tournament would be played on a special green sheet made of quality timbre used recently in the Sunfeast Open in Kolkata.

Altogether 11 singles and three doubles matches will be played, Ghosh said.

Tickets for the tournament had all been sold out, the Mayor said.

Sania hopes for a good season ahead

Hyderabad, Nov 16: Tennis star Sania Mirza hopes for a good and eventful new season, starting with the Asian Hopman Cup beginning here next week.

"I'm looking forward for a good performance in the Asian Hopman Cup and Doha Asian Games," Sania said in a brief chat after a promotional programme.

Sania, who celebrated her birthday yesterday, said that she had learned to develop a positive attitude and hopes to gain from it in 2007.

On celebrating her birthday quietly, Sania said, "it is a private affair and I want to make it a family affair." Sania, who recently returned from a pilgrimage, said that she experienced a new-found happiness after her visit to Mecca.

Earlier, Sania congratulated Jayant Jaisoorya, who won the "Sprite Super Slam" online tennis game.

Sania turns 20 today

SANIA Mirza, India’s tennis sensation turned 20 today.

On the occasion of Children’s day on Tuesday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, cited her name alongside cricketing maestro Sachin Tendulkar as perfect role models for the budding generation.

‘Sania Mirza, who was a little girl like you, dreamed of becoming one of the world`s best tennis players. With hard work, she achieved that. We feel great pride in Sachin Tendulkar also. And I hope that from among you, many more Sania Mirzas and Sachin Tendulkars will emerge,’ said Singh as he awarded 29 young achievers from across India.

Born in Mumbai in 1986, Sania was ranked 435 in WTA singles ranking in June 2004. She debuted 2005 at 169 and rose to a meteoric 42 before the 2005 US Open.

Thanks to her performance in the US, Sania reached a ranking of 31, becoming the highest-ranked female tennis player ever from India.

So far, 2006 has been a slow one for the star, who has been plagued with a string of injuries apart from an inconsistent form. A surprise victory against former world number one Martina Hingis in the Korean Open, apart, Sania has had a poor run, finishing at rank 66.

For a fitter and mentally stronger Sania Mirza

CONFIDENT COMBO: Sania Mirza and Heath Mathew believe that the present training stint would produce great results.

HYDERABAD: South African trainer Heath Mathew is now in Hyderabad and is fully involved in the job of making India's best hope in women's tennis Sania Mirza a fitter and mentally stronger player.

"It is really tough out there, and very demanding. It is crazy but I am enjoying every bit of it," she said in a chat with The Hindu after yet another gruelling session.

But significantly, Heath believes that the next six months would be a crucial phase for building a strong foundation and ensuring a bright future for Sania.

Impressive attitude

"What has impressed me most is her attitude. She is willing to give more than 100 per cent during training," he remarked. Questioned whether she considered Sania fit in all aspects, the South African was diplomatic in saying: "She will be fitter and awesome after these training sessions have been completed."

For someone who will celebrate her 21st birthday on November 16, Sania was in no mood to resist the advance `gift' her father had planned for her by way of this training schedule. Sania says that right now the focus is the Hopman Cup and the Doha Asian Games.

"I am really enjoying the training with Heath and hope to get the desired results out of it," she said. "Definitely, if I had got this sort of training 14 years ago, I would have been a much better player today," Sania remarked. "I have not set any goals for myself. Let us see how things develop over the next few weeks," she said to a query.

It is obvious that the 26-year-old Heath Mathew is enjoying what he says is a big challenge — to train Sania Mirza.

"I think she is an amazing bundle of talent. For the last one year, the focus was on the finer aspects of the game and improving skills. Now the focus is on fitness as she seems to have acquired every stroke in the game," he analysed.

For the few who turned up at the Fateh Maidan tennis complex it was obvious that a much fitter and quicker Sania was in action during the practice sessions.

Complete training

Both Heath Mathew and Sania Mirza stress that the present stint will involve the whole gamut of training — covering every aspect of the game and physical conditioning. For this reason, Sania's father Imran Mirza sought the services of two young tennis players from Kolkata — Vinod Kumar Seva and Manoj Kumar Seva — to act as hitting partners for Sania till the Hopman Cup.

Sania reveals that Heath will travel with her on the circuit next year and for his part the trainer feels that the first real assessment of his training schedule will be made before the Australian Open next January.

Sania finishes year ranked 66th

New Delhi, Nov 13: Sania Mirza has moved three places to end what has been a below-par year for her as 66th ranked on the WTA charts.

The Indian tennis icon, who had begun the year with a career-best rank of 31, could not add any feathers to her hat in the year gone by apart from a couples of surprises which included a victory against former world number one Martina Hingis.

Her slump was also evident from the fact that her rating points dropped to 382, way below her last year's count.

Sania is currently preparing for the Asian Hopman Cup mixed team championship to be held in her home town of Hyderabad from November 22.

In the doubles, the Indian finished with a career-best ranking of 24 with 1070 points.

Among other Indians in the WTA singles chart, US-based Shikha Uberoi finished 206th, followed by Ankita Bhambri (42.50) at 418.

Sania two rungs down to 69th on WTA rankings

After a week of stability, Sania Mirza again plummated two rungs on the rankings ladder to be placed 69th on the latest WTA Tour chart.
The Indian tennis sensation, who was out of action for around a month, has 382 singles points.

Sania, who last played in the Bangkok Open where she lost in the singles first round, has resumed her practice last week ahead of the six-nation Hopman Cup to be staged in her home town of Hyderabad, where she will play along side Leander Pace in the mixed doubles.

Sania, who had confessed during the recent Sunfeast Open in Kolkata that fitness was not her forte, has said she was perfectly fit to play any number of tournaments now.

Sania Mirza speaks during a news conference for the Asian Hopman Cup 2006

Sania Mirza speaks during a news conference for the Asian Hopman Cup 2006 tennis tournament in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad November 4, 2006. The tournament will be played in Hyderabad from November 22 to 26.

Sania Mirza walks after a news conference for the Asian Hopman Cup 2006

Sania Mirza walks after a news conference for the Asian Hopman Cup 2006 tennis tournament in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad November 4, 2006. The tournament will be played in Hyderabad from November 22 to 26

Sania ready for tough challenge

Hyderabad: Sania Mirza and Leander Paes will pair up for the six-nation $ 70,000 Asian Hopman Cup to be held here from November 22-26.

Sania said it was ‘exciting’ to be a part of the Indian team alongside Paes but she was prepared for a tough competition at home turf.

“It’s good that the event is happening in India, more so in Hyderabad. Although we will have the support of the home crowd, it will be a tough competition and we will try to give our best.”

About her partnership with Paes, she said, “We haven’t really talked about it. A couple of days practice before the session would do a lot good.”

China, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Uzbekistan besides hosts India will take part in the tournament.

“China and Chinese Taipei have very good players and it’s not going to be easy. The lowest ranked players will be somewhere between 75 and 80,” she said.

Putting her not-so-eventful year behind her, Sania said she had no fitness problems and was ready to play any number of tournaments.

“I have no fitness problems. It (fitness) is pretty good despite my busy schedule last year.

Sania said: “My trainer, Heath Mathew, will be arriving soon from South Africa and we will plan the future. But, as of now, I have no fitness problems.”

Sania-Paes to play in Asian Hopman Cup

Indian tennis superstars Sania Mirza and Leander Paes will pair up for the six-nation USD 70,000 Asian Hopman Cup to be held here from November 22-26.

Sania said it was "exciting" to be a part of the Indian team alongside Paes but she was prepared for a tough competition at home turf.

"It's good that the event is happening in India, more so in Hyderabad. Although we have the support of the home crowd, it would be tough competition and we will try to give our best."

About her partnership with Paes, she said "it all depends on the schedule and we really did not talk about it. A couple of days' practice before the session would do a lot good."

China, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Uzbekistan besides hosts India would take part in the tournament which has a man and a woman player from each country and play two singles and one doubles match.

"China and Chinese Taipei have very good players and its not going to be a very easy tournament. The lowest rank of the players could be somewhere between 75 and 80," she said.

The winner would get USD 20,000 and runners up would pocket USD 12,000 while victory of Indian team shall place it at par with seven best nations in tennis in the main event to be held at Perth in Australia in January 2007.

I've no fitness problems: Sania

Putting behind her not-so-eventful year, tennis sensation Sania Mirza today said she had no fitness problems and was ready to play any number of tournaments.

"I have no fitness problems. It (fitness) is pretty good despite my busy schedule last year," Sania, who last played in Bangkok, told reporters here.

During the Sunfeast Open WTA Tour event in Kolkata, Sania had said fitness was not her forte.

Sania said her trainer Heath Mathew would arrive soon from South Africa and things may change for good, hopes the from city.

"My trainer Heath Mathew would be arriving soon from South Africa and we will plan future things but as of now, I have no fitness problems," she said.

Sania, country's sole WTA title winner, agreed the year gone by was a "disappointment" for her but said she had started practicing from last three days back and would soon catch up with the Tour events.

"Yes, maybe I did not win any titles during the past year but we cannot expect to win tournaments every year. One year I am up and the other I am not."