Great going Sania but take care...

Sania Mirza The excessive adulation being showered upon Sania Mirza, apart from being a typically knee-jerk Indian phenomenon, is understandable given the fact that international glory does not come our way often enough. The history of Indian sport is replete with instances of success going to the head of our sportsmen, the latest — sad — manifestation being All England badminton champion Pulella Gopichand, who has done almost nothing of note since being idolised in almost every nook and cranny of the country after winning the crown. Even after due allowance is made for 18-year old Sania’s patent level-headedness, her family and managers would be well-advised to shield her from what is undeniably excessive media exposure. Without taking anything away from the winsome budding champion’s talent and temperament as evidenced by recent performances, the fact remains that she has a long, long way to go before she appears on the radar of international tennis, in which teenagers abound, as a player of any real consequence. KHALIDOSCOPE cannot help but be concerned about Sania’s susceptibility to injury at a tender age. And, the sooner she sheds her puppy fat, the better. Supreme physical fitness is an imperative pre-requisite in any sport. It seems Sania and those who manage her affairs have yet to come to terms with this immutable precept.

Sania climbs to 77th place in WTA rankings

Teenage sensation Sania Mirza has jumped up by 20 places to move to a career-best 77 in the latest WTA Tour tennis rankings following her quarterfinal appearance in the Dubai Open.

Sania, who defeated much higher ranked opponents including US Open champion and world's number six Svetlana Kuznetsova in the Dubai Open meet, took her points tally to 472 to reach the 77th spot in world ranking, the latest WTA rankings said on Sunday.Sania, 18, starting the week on the 97th place, got the better off seventh ranked Jelena Kostanic in the first round before accounting for Kuznetsova for a place in the quarterfinal. The Indian, however, lost the quarterfinal match to Jelena Jancovic in straight sets.

There were no changes in the rankings of the top four players -- Lindsay Davenport, Amelie Mauresmo, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams.

Lotto signs Sania as brand ambassador

NEW DELHI (PTI): Teenaged tennis sensation Sania Mirza yesterday signed her first product endorsement deal under which she becomes the brand ambassador for global sports apparel and footwear major Lotto Sport Italia for three years.
"Traditionally Lotto has a long-standing relationship with the game of tennis. Right from Boris Becker to Martina Navratilova - all have endorsed Lotto. Now Sania Mirza will be our brand ambassador," said Sunil Taneja, managing director of Sierra Industrial Entp. Pvt. Ltd. which is the Indian licensee of Lotto.
Sania will be used by Lotto in print, outdoor and below-the-line advertising. "We are not sure about using her in a TV ad yet. We are in the process of finalising our advertising agency and then we will take a call on the creatives," said Taneja.
Anirban Das Blah, vice-president (sales and marketing), Globosport, the company managing Sania, said: "What worked in favour of Lotto was bringing in a lot of international attitude of Lotto to India. Sania will have a special signature line with Lotto that not many international tennis stars have."
Lotto will use Sania in on-ground promotion of tennis as she matches-up to the company's slogan "Passion To Perform".
The company plans to capture 10 per cent of the sports footwear and apparel market in India within next three years. Currently, the market size of this segment in to the tune of Rs. 750 crore. Besides Lotto, Sania will be signing up two more endorsement deals, the next one being in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Post the Australian Open Grand Slam tournament, advertisers have gone berserk and at one point Globosport was negotiating with 18 such offers worth over Rs. 7 crore.

Sania's money power beats Viru, Irfan

NEW DELHI, MARCH 7: From luxury cars to bicycles, jewellery to footwear, a cricketer is the obvious choice for any company to sell their product. But with Sania Mirza and Narain Karthikeyan emerging as India's new sports icons, corporates are prepared to rally behind them with lucrative endorsement deals.

"Corporates have started to look beyond cricket. The endorsement offers reflect the popularity of an individual. This is due to the hard work of the new stars who have managed to reach the top at international level,” says Anirban Das, vice-president, Globosport.

In case of sports which do not enjoy huge popularity, an individual has to make a break at the top level to attract attention," he elaborates further.

The rise of non-cricketing stars is a good sign for Indian sports as our new icons will help raise the popularity of other sports as commercials and media hype generates interest among people,” says Sunil Kalra, branch director, Percept India.

"Corporates are now willing to associate themselves with sports like tennis and Formula One racing,” he says.

While Sania started off the year with a Rs 5.5 lakh rate per endorsement before her match with Serena Williams at the Australian open, it climbed to Rs 1 cr after beating the current US Open Champion and World No 7 Svetlana Kuznetsova at the Dubai Open.

It compares extremely well when looked at even by cricketing standards. While Sachin Tendulkar is at the zenith at Rs 3-to-6 cr, lesser mortals like Team India skipper Sourav Ganguly command a figure of Rs 1 cr, while his deputy Rahul Dravid is near Rs 70 lakh alongside tyros like Irfan Pathan and Virender Sehwag.

Sania Mirza, after her success in WTA Hyderabad, attracted the sort of attention that is reserved only for cricketers and such popularity could not have gone unnoticed by corporates.

The impact of Sania's magic was such that within weeks of her dream run in the court, Globosport, the Bangalore-based company had 18 corporates lined up to sign the new sensation of Indian Sports.

The rush was such that the company thought of taking time and deciding on the offers, says Das.

When Karthikeyan raced up to the big league of Formula One, it was not just the soft drinks and lifestyle companies but even auto ancillary firms and transport firms that came to capitalise on his star power.

"Success at the international stage pulls the corporate houses. It acts as a catalyst of sorts as the money helps in getting good coaching and training facilities abroad for players which is not affordable with the income from playing at home, its too little, says Das.

Initially it is very tough to convince companies that Aparna Poppat or say Pankaj Advani has the potential to make it big in sports and can be good brand amdassadors, says Das.

"Corporates are skeptical before signing non-cricketers and we have to demonstrate their value to them, Das says.

But in today's world of corporate culture, where popularity of any sport or individual is gauged by their appearances on television or in newspapers, how much are the sportspersons themselves conscious of advertisement.

"We are playing for the country and our primary aim is to perform on the field. Any recognition and incentives that comes on the way of players is always good," says hockey player Gagan Ajit Singh who was recently signed by the ministry of textiles as the brand ambassador for handicrafts.

Though he admits that doing commercials means more responsibility, "people always see and watch you, you are always noticed and the popularity raises expectations. But yes, it is encouraging and helps improve performance," he says.

With tennis hogging headlines on sports pages and television channels, children with parents are heading for the nearest tennis court.

In fact, there is an increase in the number of youngsters and parents coming up with queries for admission after Sania started her dream run in the Australian Open.

Golf player, Jeev Milkha Singh, who will also promote handicrafts, says, "We cannot compare cricket with other sports. It is followed as a sort of religion here. But yes, everyone needs recognition for their hard work and it is good to see that tennis, hockey and golfers are getting their due.

"For 'real-life-real-heroes', project of the ministry of textiles we were looking at unsung heroes who suit Indian handicrafts which despite being the best are lagging behind. So we choose non-cricketing sportspersons,"says Kalra.

Also the prices cricketers charge come into play when the companies think of signing any sportsperson for endorsements.

"Sourav and Sachin are beyond the reach of almost everyone. The market has become too cluttered. So the corporates are looking for star players in other fields," says Kalra.

Sania to have a signature line of her own:

New Delhi, Mar 6 : Having re-written many a records in the last two months Sania Mirza is now set to become only the fourth tennis player to have a signature line of her own.

The 18-year-old today became the brand ambassador of Lotto Sports Italia and the company said it would soon launch a signature line series.

With its launch, Sania would become only the fourth player after Andre Agassi of USA, Germany's Steffi Graf and Stephen Edberg of Sweden to have a signature line of her own.

"It is exciting to have a signature line of my own. Especially when I will be only the second woman after my idol Steffi Graf," she told reporters after signing the agreement.

Sania also said she would be taking active part in designing the outfit having her signature line but was quick to add that she had not given too much thought to it so far.

There was a double delight for Sania today as she also reached a career high ranking of 77 after her exploits in the Dubai Open.

Sania, who defeated US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova on way to her quarterfinal appearance at the Dubai Open this week, said she was elated to be at this position so soon.

The Hyderabad-based player began the year 2005 near the 200 mark but broke into the top 100 within a couple of months after making it to the third round of the Australian Open and becoming the first Indian woman to win a WTA tour title at Hyderabad last month.

And Sania admitted that even she had not thought that it would happen so soon.

"It's been two great months. Honestly I did not think it will come so soon (ranking of 77). After reaching the third round of Australian Open I gained in confidence." Sania said she her ankle has recovered but she would take a off this week and then would either play at Miami or in France.

On having a travelling coach, she said that was one of the thing under consideration. PTI

Sania loses game, not heart

Sania loses game, not heart - Serena works crowd, winner Jelena sorry for fans

Sania during the quarter-final. (Reuters) Dubai: Egged on by Serena Williams, 5,000 fans cheered vociferously for Sania Mirza. But instead of intimidating Jelena Jankovic, it served to steel her up. The 19-year-old from Serbia Montenegro dismantled the Dream Girl of Indian tennis in 48 minutes, winning 6-2, 6-2 to break a million hearts. Sania looked a shadow of the player who had subdued world number six Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-2. She erred more, served four double faults and could win just 33 per cent of her service points. In fact, it wasn’t until the seventh game that she held her serve. The fans saw the sign early as Jankovic raced to a 5-1 lead. But they didn’t betray Sania. The stands erupted every time Sania won a point; and when she hit a winner, the screams were ear-splitting. But their support could not work any wonder this time. Before the clash began, Serena, who Sania had faced at the Australian Open, had asked spectators to throw their weight behind the teen sensation. “Go for Sania, go for Sania,” Serena told the crowd. “I was just trying to do a bit too much,” said Sania. “To be honest, I really don’t think I played that bad. She just made me look like that. She wasn’t making any errors.” True, Jankovic gave little away. She won 65 per cent of her service points and 68 per cent of return points. “I tried to lose as few points as possible so they could cheer less,” said Jankovic, the world number 28, who was playing her fifth quarter-final in her last eight Tier II appearances. “But still every time she hit a winner… they went crazy. So I had to be really focused. I have never played in front of such a big crowd; and especially with the whole crowd against me. I tried not to let them get to me. But I did want to get mad at them at times,” Jankovic said, laughing. Jankovic was feeling sorry for the fans though. “I am sorry for all the Indian fans. They won’t have Sania here to cheer for,” she said. “But I hope they will cheer for me in the semi-finals.” Jankovic, however, conceded that Sania was playing really well. “I didn’t expect to get through. She was playing really well. But I just had one of those days where I wasn’t making any mistakes. “I was moving really well, trying to be really aggressive and hardly making any errors. Towards the end, though, I relaxed a little and let her make the mistakes.” Sania rued coming up against an opponent on “song” but wasn’t disappointed. “It’s been a great tournament,” the 18-year-old wild card said. “This was just one of those matches where your opponent is on song. She played like I played against Kuznetsova. I wasn’t missing and she was trying to do too much. The roles were reversed today,” she said. “It’s been a great tournament for me. The year’s been great and hopefully it will remain the same,” added Sania, who has lost just three matches this year on the WTA Tour and won 10. “The fans would be surely disappointed because they wanted me to win. But I tried my best and that’s why I am pretty satisfied,” she said. Sania also said she had no problems with her ankle, which she had injured in the match against Kuznetsova. “The ankle was fine. I was moving well,” said Sania, who was playing her first WTA Tier II quarter-final. Next stop for Sania is likely to be Miami. “I am going home now. I think I am entered in Miami but depends whether I can get in or not because they will be counting my old rankings,” said the Hyderabad girl. “We’ll see that. Otherwise, I am probably going to go to France.” When someone pointed out that she will not have such fan support in Miami or France, Sania shrugged her shoulders and said it’s no big deal. “You have to get used to it. All these cricketers, when they are playing international matches, have to play in front of thousands. But when they are playing in the Ranji Trophy, there are three people watching them. “So you just have to get used to it — there is no big deal. They are going to be there, they are not going to be there,” she shrugged. Had Sania won, she would have met Serena who was already making plans for the Indian and predicting she could go on to win the tournament. “It don’t look so good,” said Serena when asked about her expected match against Sania. “She is playing really well and I predict she can win this tournament.” Serena was also planning to counter Sania’s huge fan support. “I saw a few Americans in the stand today. I hope they will be there tomorrow as well,” she said. “But I have played against worse crowds. And I will just ask Venus (Williams) to scream just a little louder for me,” she giggled. But that wasn’t to be.

Sania owes Sunny one

Sania Mirza during the quater-final match at the Dubai Open tennis Tournament MUMBAI, March 4: As Sania Mirza continues to take Indian women's tennis to uncharted heights, there's one man who's watching proudly, knowing he played a part. Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar was among those instrumental in getting Sania a wild card for the event. Shyam Bhatia, an Indian sports-loving businessman in Dubai, got a request from Sania's aunt for a wild card. Bhatia took the opinion of his long-time friend Gavaskar. The former India captain told him that Sania could be a crowd-puller, with Dubai teeming with Indian ex-pats. Bhatia then requested Abdul Falaknaz, prominent businessman and sports organiser and architect of Dubai Sports City, who said he knew the organisers and could organise the wild card. And thus the fairy tale was scripted. Anil Nair, CEO, Sports Brand media group who are the telecasters, confirmed from Dubai the request made by Gavaskar. "I got a call in Australia from Sunny. I forwarded the request to the tournament director, Salah Tahlak and Colm McLouglin of Dubai Duty Free who own the event. They awarded three wild cards. One to Conchita Martinez, another to a Tunisian and the third to Sania. No one regrets it," he understated. Sania scripted history by beating a top ten women's star Kuznetsova before losing to an unseeded Serbian Jankovic. Had she won she would have met Serena Williams all over again.

Dubai Open: Sania loses to Jankovic

Sania Mirza's dream run at the Dubai Open came to an abrupt halt on Thursday night when she was completely outplayed by Serbia's Jelena Jankovic in the quarter finals.

Sania lost in straight sets to the world number 28 but not before eliminating the reigning US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and her run should take her into the top 75 when the week's rankings are announced.

It wasn't quite as difficult for Jelena Jankovic as she got off to a great start, breaking Sania Mirza twice in the opening set.

Sania won her first service game to narrow the lead to 5-2. But Jankovic had no trouble holding her serve to take the first set 6-2.

The second set was no different as Jankovic kept up the pressure to break Sania Mirza in the third game. But Sania wasn't giving up, breaking Jankovic right back much to the delight of the crowd.

But Jankovic was relentless much to the disappointment of a partisan crowd as the Serbian went 5-2 ahead. 47 minutes after the match had begun, it was all over.

It may be the end of the road for Sania in Dubai, but her victory over the reigning US Open champion gives her valuable WTA points.

Meanwhile, Jelena Jankovic will meet Serena Williams in the semi-final and she only wishes that the crowd will cheer for her.

Serve it like Sania!

The craze for Sania Mirza continues as entries for tennis tournaments in the city see an all-time high That tennis has increased radically in popularity all over India is well known. But kids playing tennis in Pune are also giving a thumbs up to Sania as girls and even boys seem to have just one ambition - "Playing like Sania." This has been proven by around three hundred entries for the Royal Boat Club Tennis tournament, organised by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) has attracted this year. This is almost twice the numbers over the last twelve years. Organisers and the participants confirm the trend is entirely because of Sania. The tournament had en-tries from various parts of Pune. Taking inspiration from Sania, 11-year-old Aishwarya practises tennis two hours daily and wants to become an international tennis player just like her idol. PSI Ravindra Rokde has been training his daughter, Apoorva, now six years old, since she was three. Setting before her the example of Serena Williams, he wants her to represent India in the field of tennis internationally. Apoorva, after having seen Sania's fight against Serena, has found a new idol. She took part in the tournament for the first time and won in the under eight category. Sanaya Baldota, who is 11 years old, and a big fan of Sania, admires her fighting spirit and has a room full of her posters. Vidit Thakkar, who is eight years of age, and idolises Ande Rodericks, feels all Indian girls should be able to play like Sania Mirza. Sammy Khambatta, the secretary of The Boat Club, believes the inclination of kids to the tournament this year is definitely because of Sania Mirza. "Her match being televised has brought tennis to the forefront," he avers. Sant Singh Mokha, the chairperson for sports, RCBC also holds similar views. "Sania together with Bhupati and Paes are drawing kids to tennis," he says adding that with proper facilities, even these kids can be match-winners.

‘Sania's critics should shut up’

New Delhi, March 2: Taking a dig at critics who were not willing to give Sania Mirza her due after she won the Hyderabad Open, Indian tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi today said they should go for a "reality check" now that she had beaten world number seven Svetlana Kuznetsova."After Sania won the Hyderabad Open there were people who said that it (success) was at home and against lower ranked players. But now she has proved that she can beat the best in the world outside the country and her success back home was no fluke," Bhupathi told reporters here.

"Now all of them should go for a reality check," said Bhupathi whose company Globo Sport manages the 18-year-old Hyderabadi.

Bhupathi, who is here for India's Davis Cup tie against China starting Friday, said they had been looking at the Dubai Open as a chance for Sania to garner some useful ranking points but she had went on to achieve more than that. "It is one thing to get a break and another to make the most of it. Sania is making the most of her opportunities and this proves her ability." Indian Davis Cup captain Leander Paes also echoed the same sentiments and said the teen sensation was having a superb run this year.

"Sania is riding on a wave and now she should garner as many ranking points as she can," he said.

The 31-year-old said he always felt that the girl has quite a few similarities with him and the resilience she showed after being down 0-4 against one of the top 10 players yesterday had made the entire country proud.

Sania and Serena to play in Kolkata

Australian Open champion Serena Williams and India's teenage sensation Sania Mirza will take part in the first ever WTA tour event to be held here from September 19 to September 25.Tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi will be here on March 8 and 9 to meet West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee and finalise logistics of the high-profile $170,000 prize money WTA Sunfeast Open, 2005, which is being touted as the biggest women's tennis event in South Asia.

Apart from Bhattacharya, Sports Minister Subhas Chakraborty and Indian cricket skipper Sourav Ganguly are also in the committee. "I have also written to Union Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar to arrange for sponsors like IBP and Indian Oil," he said. The participation of 23-year-old Serena, now ranked number three in the world, is bound to add to the prestige of the week-long tournament, which has ITC Foods as the title sponsors.

I am not going to pose in a bikini: Sania

• She is perhaps the most loved teenager in this country since Sachin Tendulkar burst on the scene. Sania Mirza, welcome to Walk the Talk in your school, which you left last year.

It is an even greater pleasure to be here. It’s just so lovely to see my school uniform again.

• But you don’t have to study, no exams, no nothing...
Yeah that’s the better part of it. I don’t have to write my exams, and I don’t have to study. But I do have my exams coming up shortly in my BA Mass Communication so...

• But more than that exam... You know, the next tournament.

I think those are tougher exams than what I actually gave last year over here, sitting in that hall downstairs. Getting up at six in the morning and playing week after week.
• What’s tougher: the Class XII student fighting for grades and percentages to get into college, or now — getting up, exercise, gym, training...

Well, for me, I don’t know... It’s right now...

• The media?

Yes, that’s tough. But for me right now, it’s tennis and it’s really bad because I have to get up in the morning and... You know, every single day of my life, just practicing eight hours a day. I am sure it is the same thing for all the people trying to get 95 per cent in their boards also. So I guess it’s wrong to compare these two things.

• But 95 per cent, even 99 per cent in the boards, tells them you need to earn your living next year...

Yes, but I think for some people it is very important to get 95 per cent or 98 per cent. But when I gave my boards I just wanted to pass.

• But you did fine.

Yes, got about 64, so it was okay.

• Tell me, what’s your day like now?

Well, right now, I am on an off because my ankles are both injured. So I am just taking it easy, sleeping late, getting up late...

• But usually, during your training time, what’s your day like?

Well, when I am training, I get up at six in the morning. I am at the courts by 7:15 am, warm up, practice till about 9:30-10 am. I come back, have breakfast, go to college, do whatever little work I have in college. Then by 2 pm, I have to come back. I am back at the tennis court at 2:30 pm, have lunch, maybe in the car or something. I come back at 6 pm, go to the gym, then return by 7:30 pm. I am dead by 7:30 pm, sometimes I may go for a massage after that, or I am just asleep by 10:30 pm.

• Is there any difference in the way you train from the way your rivals train?

Well, I really don’t know. Maybe some of them train less than what I do, some of them may train more than I do. So I really don’t know how to compare that. But I know I am training hard, eight hours a day, 365 days a year. I don’t think it is easy.

• It is tough on the body as well.

Definitely. That’s why we end up with so many injuries, I guess. Right now, both my ankles are injured and I have a little bit of thigh strain. So injuries are just a part of every athlete, whether tennis player or cricketer.

• That’s what happens to sportstars in this country. Sachin Tendulkar gets a bad elbow, the entire country gets a bad elbow.

I know. Everyday I read about my ankles more than I know about my ankles. Well, that’s the way India treats their stars, treats their idols.

• And loads of advice, from homeopathy to acupressure...

Loads of advice, homeopathy to allopathy to physiotherapy...

• So, who looks after your body and your fitness?

Over here, I train with a guy called Fayaaz, he is from EST — that’s Azharuddin’s gym here. My physiotherapist, well, the Indian cricket team’s, actually the Hyderabad cricket team’s is Mr Badrinath. He’s treating me right now, I did take a stint with Andrew Leipus too, but he is not here any more so...

• I believe Azhar takes a lot of interest in your fitness...

Yes, he does. He is a great inspiration for me. I mean he is such a great athlete and...

• He has been one of our fittest cricketers.

He probably is one of the fittest.

• I have not seen someone his age with such a flat stomach.

Definitely, at 42-43... He gives me a complex. He is unbelievably fit, and whenever he is in town he tries to advise me.

• Is there something that he complains about?

Yes, that I eat too much... Everytime I am with him, I have to tell him my whole diet for the past one week, which I hate doing. So I try to cut down when I am around him. I try not to eat so I don’t have to lie to him.

• So when one Hyderabadi questions another on what you eat and how much you eat, it’s all about biryani isn’t it?

Definitely, but I have cut down on my biryanis quite a lot.

• Do you think that tennis involves a lot of self denial. You know, not just fitness and eating but also the kind of life you lead, the circuit?

I guess in any sport you have to give a lot of sacrifices, but tennis is never-ending. Definitely, it is one of the toughest sports I have seen.

• Cricket has a season...

Yes, in tennis, you are playing all year round. And you are missing out on your normal life I guess. But now it all seems worth it, you know, when you perform. I guess when you don’t perform, that’s when it really hits you that maybe I am taking a wrong decision. But what the hell, I mean you have to take risks in life.

• Were there moments when you thought is this worth it?

When I was younger...there were definitely moments.

• Younger means what... when you were six?

When I was 13 or 14, when I wasn’t winning so much, but everyone was saying you are good, you are going to start winning. And I was like, when am I going to start winning. Suddenly, everything just clicked. Now, I am so passionate about the game that even if you ask me to stop, I don’t think I can stop playing.

• So what’s the target now? You have done your top 100 much ahead of target, isn’t it? You have saved yourself six months.

No, I have saved myself 10 months, I said by the end of 2005 I would like to be in the top 100. I am testing myself by saying I want to be top 50 by the end of the year. Let’s hope I can do it. Let’s hope it comes before time as well.

• It’s one thing to get from 150 to 99, or top 100. It’s quite another to get to top 50. How much of a leap do you think that is? How difficult is it?

See, in terms of points, I need about 300 more points to get into top 50. Just by these two tournaments, I think I have got about more than 150 points. If I have a couple of more tournaments like these, anything can happen. But it could also happen that I have a bad phase and I don’t play like this. But it’s okay, I am not going to be disappointed. Of course, I am going to be a little upset, but I guess that’s just a part of it.

• When you see see the women in the top 50 today, do a lot of them look beatable?

Definitely. Actually last year, I played Nicole Pratt and the year before I played Amely too. She is around 45, Nicole is around 51. I played three sets against both of them. My fitness level wasn’t as high as it is now, my serve wasn’t as strong as it is now. So I guess I can match quite a bit...

• But your return of serve was always a killer.

My return of serve, yes, it is one of the strongest points of my game.

• We have seen you turn around your game from difficult situations, match points, deuces....

My return of serve definitely is one of the strongest points in my game, and I am very confident. I think it is just because of my timing...that I have the timing.

• In fact, when you were playing in Australia, one of the commentators said that we have seen in Sania’s game the same element of touch and timing that is the hallmark of Indian tennis. He said we saw this in Amritraj. This is very true of Indian cricketers as well, particularly the Hyderabadi cricketers — Azhar, Laxman, the touch, timing...

Yes, but I am not much of a touch player. I am a very offensive player. I don’t like drop shots and chip-and-charge, you know. I am more of the hitting kind, the winning kind.

• But you have got timing.

I have got timing and I think that is why I hit the ball harder than some of the boys do. Because I have the timing, though I don’t look muscular or anything. I hit the ball as hard as perhaps some of the men do.

• What was the thought in your mind when you were up against Serena? Watching you on TV, one could see some sense of amusement. It was like you were enjoying it too much.

Well initially, yes, I was enjoying it, no doubt about that. I was very happy to be playing against Serena, so excited that I was playing Serena Williams... I could not believe that three nights back, I was sleeping in my bed and seeing my draw and thinking that I might play Serena in the third round, and today I am playing her. So, it was an amazing feeling. And I was tense because I was thinking so much about the match. I was tense, when I am never tense during my matches. As everyone could see, in the first sets, I had a few unlucky points, some net calls that came over to my side instead of going that way, and that made the difference.

• You know, your father complained to me that you are not somehow focussed, not so intense in the first set. Then he said that if she loses one, then she is like a wounded tigress.

Well, I think the first set... It was just that I was playing a big tournament, a big round, a big player, a massive player, if you can say that... So I knew I had to go out there and just have fun and enjoy. But then I was just thinking so much about playing Serena in front of such a big crowd, and so many people cheering for both of us... I was obviously the underdog there. Playing the second set, I think I matched her in the second set, and she obviously was getting under pressure.

• Let me move beyond top 50. What is your ambition?

My ambition, to be honest, is to be in the top 25. Because I believe in being realistic. Maybe if I get into the top 25 in the next two years, maybe then I would say that I want to get into the top 10.

• The last Indian to get somewhere up there was Vijay Amritraj.

Yes, so right now, I want to be in the top 25, maybe in about two to two-and-half years from now.

• That’s a good time frame. How long do you see yourself playing?

It really depends on my body, you know, because we are ending up in so many injuries.

• It’s a very high-stress game now.

Definitely. And it is so physical. You need that 110 per cent every time you walk in the court. It is tough to do that. I have been doing it for 13 years now, and I already feel it. But you keep doing it till as long as you can... Till I am enjoying the game. I think that’s what matters.

• But tennis is a very young people’s game now. It’s one thing for us to say that Sania Mirza, at 18, carrying hopes of an entire country... But 18 is a pretty mature age for women’s tennis, isn’t it?

Yes it is. I know people are retiring at 22-23, they are ending up in so many injuries. Martina Hingis did. So many people... Henin underwent injury. I was just reading in the papers today that she came back after about a year and won her match. So people are ending up in so many injuries... So anything can happen, I could play till 29, I could stop at 22.

• But you see in the top 25-top 50, women of your age group, some even younger.

Definitely. But I guess it’s just the way they’ve been trained all these years. You know, the number of coaches they have had, the best coaches in the world, the best training partners. They are at a certain advantage with their height and physical fitness too — they are 6 feet tall, I am five seven-and-half. But over here, I look like some giant. Then when I go abroad...

• You talked a lot about your foreign competition having had the benefit of scientific coaching, foreign coaches, very controlled environment. Do you regret not having had some of that?

Well, I don’t need to regret it, because I’m still 99 in the world. But maybe some people should think that I do have a disadvantage. Because people tell me you are 18 and still 99. But they don’t understand the amount of hard work that’s gone in being an Indian tennis player. You don’t have proper courts...

• You are far too spunky and far too talented to be satisfied with being in the 90s or 80s. You are aiming higher. For that, do you think it’s necessary to go to a regulated foreign coaching environment?

I did go to Brett last year for a few weeks. Because of my ankles, I am just going to maybe try and play a few tournaments, see how I feel. After that, we will see how it goes.

• So you might consider shifting and training for longer periods?

It really depends. I don’t know. Training for longer periods, maybe, but I don’t know if I want to shift my base.

• Why, is it tough to stay away from home?

Yes, it is. Tough to stay away from biryani. I hope Azhar isn’t watching.

• Azhar will watch. If he doesn’t we will let him know because all of us have a stake in your not eating too much biryani now.

I am not.

• That’s the other thing Sania, you are carrying so much hope and expectation you know. You saw the crowds you had, and now you know that you are a star. You can’t hide from the fact. How much more pressure does it bring on you?

It definitely brings a lot of pressure on me. People are always expecting much more from me than what I actually can do, I feel. And till now, I don’t know how I have always lived up to a lot of expectations, maybe not to all of the people’s but to a lot of expectations. So, I am very happy at the way I have come through in my career till now. But the pressure is always going to be there, I guess. It’s just a part of it...

• Do you ever exchange notes with other people who have handled the pressure? You have met Rahul Dravid. Recently, of course, you met Azhar. Have you met Sachin?

I have met Sachin, but we never had this kind of talk. It was just very general talk you know, not exactly about how to handle pressure or stuff like that. But I would love to do that.

• But if you met him on a flight, or had lunch with him, what are the three questions you would ask him?

How do you hit like that — I feel he’s got amazing timing to hit those sixes. I would like to ask him how do you do that when you are so small?

• What’s the second question?

How does he handle so many expectations the way he has been over these years? Then how does he cope up with these injuries?

• All right. Injuries, the power, and the pressure. What about the adulation and the money?

I don’t think Sachin needs any more money.

• Let’s not get into the question of who needs what. All those kids who are watching, I think, also figure how much money you are going to make in the times to come.

Well, you know...

• Why don’t you ask him how to manage your money?

First thing is, I don’t really care about money. Even today, I don’t exactly manage my money. My parents do everything. I don’t even know how much the tickets cost. So I am not really a money-minded person. I am playing tennis right now for the passion, and because I love the game so much.

• That’s the question I want to ask you. When you go out to play, where does the passion come from? Does it come form hating the opponent, wanting to beat her, or does it come from being wrapped in the Tricolour and playing for the nation? Is it money, is it glory, what is it?

It comes a little from everything, I guess. Yes, it does come from playing for India, having the Indian flag behind you, people saying Sania Mirza from India. It feels very proud to be an Indian.

Secondly, I think it comes from ‘I want to hit her with that ball in her stomach’. I think it comes from that too, I think that’s one of the reasons I hit every ball so hard. I don’t know if money really drives me. It doesn’t really motivate me.

• I have talked to people like Vijay Amritraj, Leander. You can see they always performed much better when they were playing for the flag, as against the logo. You know, their Davis Cup performances were much better. How does it work for you, playing for India vs playing for yourself?

I give my 200 per cent everytime I walk on court. And even when I am not playing a team event, I am still playing for India, I am still playing for my country. Even though it is an individual sport, I am still playing for the nation.

• But will you play for the Fed Cup?

Definitely, it is great to watch all these people with Indian flags and banners saying ‘Come on India’.

• Is there a difference between Advantage Sania and Advantage India?

There definitely is. I think Advantage India sounds better.

• And you are very conscious of your Indian identity.

Yes, I am.

• It’s not just the nose-ring, which, I think, will become a huge fashion statement.

I don’t know. I have had this a long time now. But yes, I am very conscious of my Indian identity. I am very proud to be an Indian.

• Were they surprised on the circuit when they first saw you — an Indian woman, a young Indian woman?

In the beginning, yes. They probably thought it was a fluke. But when they kept seeing me more on the circuit, it got into their heads that, you know...

• Especially at Wimbledon, I believe they didn’t even have the Indian flag.

They didn’t and they were like, sorry we have not had an Indian girl come and play here. That’s why Wimbledon was so special for me. Because two years later, I went there and won the tournament.

• So tell me about the incident. I believe they got the wrong flag.

They got the wrong flag and my father just went up to them and said you know you’ve got it wrong.

• And you got furious.

Yes, because they should respect people’s flags, and they should respect whichever country they come from, whether it is a tennis-playing country or a non tennis-playing country. I was very furious. Two years later, when I won it... I am sure they are not going to forget the Indian flag for a long time now.

• That’s the Indian identity. Are you also conscious of your cultural, religious identity? I know you are religious, you pray...

Yes I am. I pray five times a day. I am very conscious about the pillars of Islam. I know my Indian culture, I know what my background says. You know, I do advertisements and stuff like that but if you ask me to pose in a bikini I am not going to do that. My religion doesn’t permit it, nor do a lot of other things.

• You are a religious family but not conservative.

We are conservative too, but to some extent. I mean, maybe the dresses I wear are not exactly right, but I guess Islam does have forgiveness. I don’t know if I am doing anything wrong... I am sure God will forgive me.

• I think any God will forgive you. And any God will forgive anyone who is in competitive sports, but most of all a person like you. Keep getting better and better Sania, we are all with you and may God be with you.

Sania to defy pain and play quarter-final

Giantkiller Sania Mirza will defy the pain-barrier once again and go all out in her quarter-final clash with Jelena Jankovic in the $585,000 Dubai Open WTA championship tomorrow.

Brushing aside concerns that she might have to concede the match against the 28th seed Serbian due to a troublesome ankle injury, the star Indian player said there was no way she was going to give up.

"I will definitely play the quarter-finals," the 18-year-old told PTI, her steely resolve coming to the fore once again.

Playing in the event as a wild card, Sania stunned world number seven and fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in the second round yesterday despite her ankle hampering her on more than one occasion. After the win, she admitted she was driven to despair with the ankle "killing" her.

"It was the third time in three weeks (it happened) and I was crying because I was in so much pain. I was disturbed because always my ankles are getting injured," she said.

Sania said she was taking things easy today as she did not want to strain herself before the big match.

"I have just had 30 minutes of practice, I have been resting mostly," Sania said adding she was feeling "much better" now with massage and treatment as advised by the doctors.

Asked if she had put in some special preparation in the lead-up to this event, Sania, currently ranked 98, said, "I do not have any special preparation, I just go out and play my natural game. Inshallah (God willing) tomorrow also I will be able to play good tennis."

Sania, who created history by becoming the first Indian to win a WTA title in Hyderabad last month, picked 35 WTA points after her win in the first round here against world number 34 Jelena Kostanic of Croatia and after her giantkilling act of the second round, she is all set to move into 60's in the world rankings.

Having started the year around the 168-mark, it has been a remarkable run for the teenager who became the first Indian woman ever to make it to the second round of a Grand Slam during the Australia Open in January this year.

Ten Sports To Telecast Sania's Quarterfinal Match

Indian Tennis' new heartthrob Sania Mirza, who is acquiring quite a reputation on the WTA tour, is into the quarterfinals of the Dubai Duty-Free Open. The 97th ranked Sania overcame an ankle injury to defeat US Open champion, Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4 6-2. She will now play Jelena Jankovic in the quarterfinals. Ten Sports, a Dubai based sports channel will provide a live telecast of the match. It has been quite a year for the 18-year-old Indian on the WTA Tour so far. First came a third round appearance in the Australian Open where she lost to the eventual champ, Serena Williams. Then a first WTA title in front of her home crowd at the Hyderabad Open. In fact her appearance at the Dubai Open was in doubt following an ankle injury that she picked up during the course of her victory at Hyderabad. In her match against the world No. 7, Kuznetsova, Sania had to take a 10-minute break in order to get some attention to her ankle. 'My ankle was killing me. It was the third time in three weeks and I was crying because I was in so much pain. I was disturbed because always my ankles are getting injured" Sania said after the match. She was down 0-4 and 30-40 at this time. A painkiller & some tape to wound up the ankle worked miracles as she pounded out the hapless Kuznetsova with powerful forehand shots & better back court play. She finally won 6-4 6-2. 'I started well and she was nervous, but I didn't do anything to make her play like that,' Kuznetsova admitted. The scheduled telecast of the quarterfinals to be played in two sessions is as follows: evening session 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm, followed by the night session from 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm.

Dutt congratulates Sania

Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sunil Dutt today congratulated Sania Mirza for her stupendous success in the Dubai Open second round match against the US Open Champion Svetlana Kuznetsova Mr Dutt called up Sania over phone and appreciated her ''extraordinary courage and skill.'' The Minister wished her luck and hoped that the tennis prodigy would continue her dream-run.

Indian Davis Cup team hails Sania

Indian Davis Cup team members today hailed Sania Mirza's performance in the ongoing Dubai Open saying, ''She has done the country proud.'' ''Her showing has given boost to the game in the country and will encourage the youth in every walk of life to strive for excellence,'' said Indian Davis Cup skipper Leander Paes.

''Yesterday was a great moment in Indian women's tennis history when Sania beat US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the second round of Dubai Open,'' Paes said and added, ''I was in meeting when I saw a flash on TV saying she was trailing 0-4 and after some time I was thrilled to see a flash saying she has won the first set. That shows she is a great fighter and is now all set to perform on big stage.'' ''Sania's victory over Kuznetsova reminded me of my win over Pete Sampras. It is great that an Indian is capturing the imagination of the sports fans abroad.'' ''The major advantage with Sania is that she has tremandous resilience which she has displayed time and again,'' ''It has been a great year for her. Every point she makes is bonus for her,'' added Paes.

Mahesh, whose father has coached Sania, said, ''She is on the roll and she should ride as long as it goes. It is not going to last long so she to be prepared for all the up and downs that come with such a roller-coaster ride.'' ''She has proved that her showing in Australian Open or at Hyderabad was no fluke and she can take on best in the game in their own backyard and that itself is a great achievement,'' he said.

Prakash Amritraj said, ''I have been with her on junior circuit and it is nice to see her doing so well.'' Harsh Mankad was of the view that Sania is playing at the highest level and that will motivate more youngsters to take to this game in the country.

Davis Cup coach Nandan Bal also described Sania's performance as fantastic and added, ''I hope the Davis Cup team will continue this winning streak in the Indian tennis.''

Heady for India, Sania cool- Past and pain behind, teen sensation focuses on Jelena

Sania: Looking ahead Quarter finals today on Ten Sports in two sessions — 4 and 8.30 pm

Calcutta, March 2: Serena Williams acknowledged her potential, as did half-a-dozen awe-struck rivals, and a billion Indians starved of sporting success swooned.

The rest of the world sat up and took notice yesterday: a cute Indian girl is the fastest-rising player on the women’s circuit.

But 24 hours after dumping US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova from the high-profile Dubai Open, Sania Mirza would only say: “I may have won yesterday, but that is history. Yesterday was a different day and tomorrow is going to be different as well. I’ve just got to go out there and give off my best. I can’t live in the past… I have to look ahead.”

Asked if she was revising her goal of bursting into the top 50 by the year-end, she replied: “I’ve had a great season so far but right now I’m not thinking of any numbers, just focusing on my next match (against Serbian Jelena Jankovic)… In any case, I think I still need close to 200 more points to move into the top 50,” said Sania, who should be jumping to around No. 75 after ending the 2004 season at 206.

Having lived through some agonising moments on Tuesday afternoon when she was contemplating conceding the match to Kuznetsova (after falling and twisting her ankle), Sania woke up this morning to find that the painkillers had worked like magic.

“I had a light workout this afternoon for about 20-25 minutes… there wasn’t much discomfort, I should be ready to play tomorrow,” Sania said while driving to a clinic organised by the Dubai-based Zeeshan Ali’s Matchplay Tennis Academy.

“The ice treatment has worked wonders,” she added. Sania had an hour-long “hit” with Zeeshan at the academy in the afternoon.

“Her ankle seems to be healing. She’s moving perfectly and there seems to be no pain as such,” Zeeshan said.

He has been surprised by her ability to stay focused and not let all the attention go to her head. “Her success will now lie in her staying fit and injury-free since she has the game to be in the top bracket,” he added.

How does she see her quarter final against a player who is a nobody in comparison to her latest victim?

“Each opponent is different, so each match is different. Jankovic is an all-court player with good groundstrokes. It won’t be an easy match, but my confidence level is high… I’ll go out there and play my natural game. Hopefully, the result will go in my favour,” Sania said.

Jankovic, who turned 20 on Monday, is currently ranked No. 28. Like Sania, she has one WTA Tour title on her CV but, unlike the Indian, the Serbian has not progressed beyond the second round of a Grand Slam.

The father agreed with Sania’s assessment of Jankovic. “She has a hard-hitting game like Sania’s… I think Silvia Farina-Elia (the Italian who lost to Jankovic yesterday) would have been an easier opponent, she doesn’t have the big weapons to hurt anyone,” said Imran Mirza, perhaps trying to play down the high expectations of a country which has overnight turned into a tennis-crazy nation.

Recalling the pain his daughter went through early in yesterday’s match, Imran said he hadn’t thought Sania would be able to take the court after the ankle injury.

“After getting medical attention, she just wanted to complete the first set… we prayed that she could at least put up some fight for the thousands who had turned up to watch her play.”

An hour later, the Mirzas were celebrating the most memorable moment in their lives.The celebration came in the form of a dinner at Le Meridien with close friends.

With a possible rematch with Serena looming (if both players win their respective quarter finals tomorrow), better fasten your seat belts. Indians have quickly learnt to expect the unexpected from Sania.

As the 18-year-old herself said: “Jelena may be better ranked than me, but I don’t know if she is a better player. Perhaps tomorrow…”

Sania conquers Kuznetsova

US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova was stunned 6-4, 6-2 by 18-year-old Indian sensation Sania Mirza in the Dubai Open second round on Tuesday.
Mirza is attaining film star status in her homeland after becoming the first Indian woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam in Melbourne last month. She was also the first Indian to win a WTA Tour event in Hyderabad.

Mirza further underlined her potential against Kuznetsova, recovering from a shaky start to produce a supremely confident performance.

The match initially looked like being a major embarrassment for Mirza, who attracted nearly 5,000 spectators consisting mainly of expat workers to the centre court.

She lost the first game to love in 42 seconds as the fourth-seeded Russian fired two aces, and fell behind 4-0 after suffering an ankle injury.

The match turned round dramatically, however, as Mirza banished her early nerves and began to hit the ball sweetly.

Her forehand was especially damaging, and she struck several winning returns against the world number six.

After winning six straight games to take the first set Mirza continued to grow in confidence, pumping her fist and forcing a forehand error from Kuznetsova to break in the first game of the second set.

Urged on by the boisterous crowd, Mirza continued to pound the ball at every opportunity and her efforts were rewarded with a superb forehand winner that gave her a further break to lead 5-2 before closing out in the next game.
Sania now meets Jelena Jankovic, a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 winner over Silvia Farina Elia of Italy, in the quarterfinals. Elia had ousted Venus Williams in the first round on Monday.

“I didn’t think I would win after trailing 4-0,” said Sania. “I think I played my best tennis today.”

The Sania Mania

Sania Mirza Who is Sania Mirza? If you put that question to Indians living abroad, you’ll get a frown because they’ll think you should know all about her. Ask an Indian in India, and after the eyes stop rolling, you’ll be handed just about any newspaper or magazine that’s handy. And there she is, peeking out of every publication and every TV screen as writers and anchors gush “This Lass Has Got Class” or “She’s the Belle of the Ball.” It’s called “Sania Mania,” and advertising agencies are working overtime to cash in on it. Well, to the answer then. Sania Mirza is an 18-year-old Muslim girl from Hyderabad, India, who has caught the attention of the world of tennis since Feb. 12 when she became the first Indian to win a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title — and the $140,000 prize that went with it. She was given a wild card for the Hyderabad Open event, which she won by beating ninth seed Alyona Bondarenko of the Ukraine. That victory came after her amazing exploits in the Australian Open last month where she became the first Indian to reach the third round of a Grand Slam event. Sania lost to Serena Williams. By her superb display she jumped from a 400 ranking last year into the Top 100 this year. She is on No. 99 in the latest world rankings. Those are cold statistics and are for the record books. That still doesn’t tell us what sort of person she is and what her background is. “She is a deeply religious girl who prays five times a day and tries hard not to play during the holy month of Ramadan. She reads the Qur’an every day,” her father and coach, Imran Mirza, told Arab News in a telephone interview from Hyderabad this week. “She doesn’t want to miss out on college, so she recently enrolled herself for a bachelor’s degree in mass communications, having completed her higher secondary course (Plus 2) last year. She went to Nasr School, an English-medium school which is a typical Muslim one.” So she wants to be a journalist? “Having answered hundreds of questions from hundreds of journalists after winning the hearts and minds of a multitude of Indians, she probably knows the right questions to ask,” said the doting father. Sania had already learned the nuances of journalism when someone asked her what’s it like for a Muslim girl to wear short skirts and slug it out on court. She quickly replied: “I don’t wear miniskirts on the streets.” Imran Mirza himself was a sports journalist once. He ran his own sports magazine called “Sportscall”. “It folded a long time back,” he said, “but my heart was once into journalism.” The father thinks that the whole family has contributed in a big way to Sania’s rise to sports stardom. “My younger daughter Anam, who is 11, probably missed a lot of time with us because we were busy with Sania so much.” Here in Saudi Arabia, old-timers recall one of Sania’s great-uncles coming for Haj many times. “He was my Phuppa Al-Haj Mirza Shakoor Beg,” confirmed Imran. “He performed Haj 31 times and died at the age of 96.” Sania’s grandfather was an avid sportsman. “My father, Muhammad Zafar Mirza, played university-level cricket. He also played club cricket for Middlesex in England. But his first love was hockey. Then he went into academics,” said Imran. Sania’s mother also is a sports lover. “She never played organized sports though, but she played badminton a lot,” said Imran. How did Sania get into tennis? “It was natural for her to pick up some kind of sport. Cricket was not an option for women, and we discouraged her from getting into swimming so tennis became the best option,” said Imran. “We knew she had talent when she picked up the racket for the first time at the age of six. We knew then that she was destined for big things, but we didn’t know she’d reach the Top 100 ranking at 18. Now she wants to be in the Top 50 by the end of 2006 and the Top 25 by 2007.” Imran says finding corporate sponsors initially was tough. “GVK Industries did a lot to promote her. Now we are deluged with offers from sponsors.” Anirban Das, senior vice president of Globosport, which handles Sania’s commercial work, told Outlook news magazine that he spent the last few months “persuading people, trying to convince them there was something special about this girl.” Now they have seen the light, and he is flooded with offers since Sania’s appeal extends beyond the demographic of tennis-watchers in that she is an icon for all young people — particularly women. As she was walking back after losing to World No. 7 Serena Williams in that celebrated Australian Open encounter at Melbourne’s Vodafone Arena, Brad Gilbert, coach of the likes of Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick, told her: “You have a bright future. I would like to see you in the Top 50 in the next 12 months.” That’s what she’s working on now. Sania Mirza possesses a simple, wholesome charm that comes from sheer earnestness. There is a down-to-earth quality to her which goes beyond the transitory appeal of models. And, unlike actresses, Sania is real. Sania’s rise to the top also has given a shot in the arm to the morale of the country’s Muslim minority. In his much-acclaimed article, Praful Bidwai hit the nail on the head when he said: “Sania has come to embody a number of aspects of modernity, freedom and rationality — the very opposite of the stereotypes that Indian Muslims are straitjacketed into. Many conservatives, especially Bharatiya Janata Party sympathizers, believe Indian Muslims are irredeemably backward, illiterate, overly religious, bigoted... In their view, Muslims are somewhat inferior, under-socialized human beings who deserve pity or sympathy, not equal treatment or respect. The Hindu nationalist, as well as the middle class pseudo-liberal, is deeply uncomfortable with the modern, liberal, educated, well-informed Indian Muslim who has an open mind and cosmopolitan outlook. The discomfort is all the greater if the person is a woman. Sania Mirza represents all of those modern attributes. And yet, she has become an irresistible, irrepressible icon by dint of her talent and her transparent charm. This is a major transformation of the Indian Muslim stereotype.” So who is Sania Mirza? If you’re one of the Top 100 in the world of tennis, the answer might be “Trouble.”

Dubai Open: Sania to face Kuznetsova

Sania in Dubai on Monday

Calcutta: After Melbourne and Hyderabad, it’s Dubai’s turn to witness the Sania Mirza storm. The Indian sensation, using another wild card to good use, eked out one more memorable win to kick-start her campaign in the $585,000 Dubai Open.

“The crowd was very supportive… it was just like playing in Hyderabad,” Sania told The Telegraph an hour after her 6-7, 6-4, 6-1 win over Croatia’s world No. 36 Jelena Kostanic.

For a girl who has made it a habit of humbling higher-ranked opponents, this was by far the teenager’s biggest win. Sania’s previous ‘best’ was Chinese world No. 61 Jie Zheng, at the Hyderabad Open earlier this month.

“The first set was a bit up and down, I led 4-1, then she came back… I had my chances but couldn’t take them,” Sania said. “The second set was close. Once I took that, I played solid tennis in the third.”

The ankle injury hasn’t subsided totally, but unlike in Hyderabad, she didn’t have to take painkillers or wear a thigh strapping. “I didn’t feel any discomfort,” Sania said. “The crowd was rooting for me so much, it would have lifted my game anyway.”

Among those in the stands was former Davis Cupper Zeeshan Ali, now settled in Dubai. There were some other family friends of the Mirzas as well.

Up next for Sania is an even bigger name, US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. “Everyone knows she’s a very good player… it will be a tough match. I’ll just go out and play as I have been playing over the past few weeks,” Sania signed off on her customary confident note.