The Hindu : Sport : Sania keen to showcase her skills at home

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 04, 2005

Sport

Sport

Sania keen to showcase her skills at home

LOOKING AHEAD: Unfazed by the expectations following her exploits Down Under, Sania Mirza intends to thrill her home supporters at the Hyderabad Open.

HYDERABAD, FEB. 3. The sore ankle may be a cause for concern, but Sania Mirza is determined to showcase her skills in front of home fans at the Hyderabad Open beginning next week.

The 18-year-old said she was playing the WTA tour event, not out of any ``obligation'' but because it was her home event.

``Nobody has forced to me play the Hyderabad Open. I want to play because it is my home event and I want to play in front of home fans,'' Sania told PTI.

Sania, who became the first Indian woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam at the Australian Open, said that ``the feeling had sunk in long ago'' and she was back to the grind.

Sania has been practising and working out at the gym ahead of the $140,000 prize money WTA Tour event, starting on Monday next.

Sania said the left ankle, injured two weeks before the Australian Open, would not hamper her performance in the Tier IV event.

She said she was happy with such additional responsibilities and attention following her exploits Down Under.

``Really, it is good for the sport in the country. People are becoming aware that there are other sports where we can excel, not just cricket. Pressure has always been there, it comes with success,'' the 2003 Wimbledon girls doubles champion said.

`Tennis first'

The teenager, playing her first full season on the senior circuit this year, is sure that the newfound stardom will not distract her.

``Tennis comes first. The attention and interviews are there only because of tennis. If I have an obligation, it will be only second. I will always put tennis first,'' she said.

After her dream run at Melbourne Park, where she reached the third round before losing to eventual winner Serena Williams, Sania had said that she was re-adjusting her goals for the year, to reach the top 50 in world rankings.

The pundits have always pointed out that reaching the top-300 in men's tennis is more difficult than a top-100 place on the WTA list because the women's game lacks depth.

Sania dismissed such criticism.

``If someone compares women's tennis and men's tennis, it basically means he doesn't know head or tails,'' she said.

``There are a billion people in India, so there are going to be a billion views.

``But then everyone has the right to his opinion. Some write about it, others come and discuss it with you. You can't do much about these things.''

Biggest draw

The biggest draw at the Hyderabad Open will be Martina Navratilova who will compete in the doubles section.

Indian fans would be very keen to see the legend partner Sania, but Navratilova, the professional that she is, would be keen to play with someone who could help her win the title.

That does not rule out Sania yet, for she is the defending doubles champion.

The Hyderabadi girl has also received a wild card for a $170,000 event in Bogota, Colombia, which starts a week after the Hyderabad event.

Our Special Correspondent reports:

According to her father Imran, Sania's recent stint with the Indian cricket team's former physio Andrew Leipus in Mumbai benefited her a lot but since she had to return home, Leipus referred her to the Hyderabad Ranji team physio Badri, who has been helping her overcome her injury.

Sania is undergoing a daily routine at the gym and is taking care not to put too much stress on her legs and ankles yet.

Meanwhile, the stars are expected to land in the city anytime after Friday and tennis fans are excited to see the legendary Martina Navratilova in flesh and blood. However, the highest ranked player will be Meghann Shaughnessy of the U.S., ranked 40. Shaughnessy has three WTA singles titles and four doubles titles under her belt.

Apart from Shaughnessy, there are nine other players ranked in the top 100. They include Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand (66), Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany (68), Arantxa Parra Santonja of Spain (70), Marta Domachowska of Poland (73), Tatiana Panova of Russia (77), Li Na of China (78), Jie Zheng of China (79), Mara Santangelo of Italy (86), and Lubomira Kurhajcova of Slovakia (88).

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