The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Sania to skip Qatar Open

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 17, 2005

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Sport - Tennis

Sania to skip Qatar Open

By Our Sports Reporter

HYDERABAD, FEB. 16. The newly-crowned WTA Hyderabad Open champion, Sania Mirza, has declined the wild card entry offered by the organisers of Qatar Open tennis championship commencing from February 21 to 26.

According to her father, Imran Mirza, the 18-year-old tennis sensation has not recovered fully from the ankle injury she sustained during the Australian Open last month.

Incidentally, current Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova and Amelie Mauresmo were the other big names who have confirmed their participation in the Qatar Open.

However, he hopes that she will be fit for the Dubai Open starting on February 28.

UNI report adds:

Faced with the problem of crowds thronging Sania's residence, her mother Naseema has asked city police commissioner V. Dinesh Reddy for security, which has been immediately granted.

Sania has developed a tremendous fan following after she entered the third round of the Australian Open and then became the first Indian to win a WTA tourney. Admirers have started bothering her day and night, not allowing her to even rest her injured knee. Her recent win in the WTA-Hyderabad open has heightened the frenzy.

Naseema on Wednesday approached Mr. Dinesh Reddy and explained the situation. She told him that some unknown persons had tried to scale the compound wall of their house recently.

Mr. Reddy immediately appointed personal security officers for Sania round-the-clock. Security personnel from the city security wing would guard her house when she is at home and accompany her on her outings.

Talking to UNI, Sania's father Imran said security for Sania was only to tackle the problem of fans approaching her for autographs and not due to any threat perception.

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