The Hindu : Sport : Sania wins many hearts

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 06, 2005

Sport

Sport

Sania wins many hearts

— Photo: PTI

HARD LESSONS: Sania Mirza might have lost her match but the valuable experience she learnt will help her in the long run.

New York: Sania Mirza made a graceful exit from the U.S. Open after the top seed, Maria Sharapova, handed her a 6-2, 6-1 defeat in the fourth round.

Notwithstanding a none-too-flattering scoreline and her inability to control unforced errors, Sania — the first Indian woman to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam — admitted she could not have asked for more in her debut at the Flushing Meadows.

``I had a great U.S. Open. I couldn't have asked for more. This is my career highlight — getting to the fourth round in the U.S. Open in my first year here and first year on the tour,'' said Sania, who matched her illustrious rival shot for shot in the first set before Sharapova prevailed.

In her post-match interview, Sania also defended her tactics of going for big, risky shots. ``That's how I play. I'm going to have 50 unforced errors one day, but I'm going to also have 50 winners that day.

``I think people just have to accept my style. Not because I can add variation to my game, but I'm going to win matches only when I hit winners.

``I enjoy hitting the ball as hard as I can. I enjoy taking risks. And I believe that you always have to take risks,'' said the 18-year-old Sania.

About the match, she said, ``Today if I would have pushed the ball, I probably would have lost 0 and 0. So I had to go for my shots, and I did. I got a few. I got a few in. I got a few out. That just gives me experience.

On future encounters with Sharapova, Sania said, ``I'll come up with a game plan. She obviously played some really good shots out there. She gets a lot more balls, a lot tougher balls."

Asked about her poor second serve, Sania said, "I have no regrets. We've been trying to work on my serve, but we couldn't because I had the stomach injury, so really didn't get time to work on it.''

``Except my serve, I think, I played a good match. I was feeling well."

The Indian who stunned her opponent with incredible groundstrokes, said, ``I can match the best player when it comes to the groundstrokes. It's just probably a few other things like the physical fitness or the serve that I have to work on.''

She also thanked the boisterous crowd that cheered its heart out at the Arthur Ashe stadium.

Sharapova's praise

The crowd's favourite also drew flattering tributes from Sharapova.

``I think she's definitely great for the sport. It's amazing how we have such great athletes. She's very young, has a great future ahead of her. But of course she needs experience,'' said the top-seeded Russian.

Cheered by the vociferous crowd and watched by her father Imran Mirza, Sania took to the court in a red T-shirt and white baseball cap flaunting her ear studs.

The match

Sania won her first point in the second game of the first set with a scorching double-handed backhand and levelled 1-1 but the Russian held her serve and then broke Sania to reach 3-1.

Sania responded in style, breaking the Russian in the next game as Sharapova struggled against Sania's pace but the Russian won the next three games, breaking Sania again in seventh, to pocket the set in 31 minutes.

Sharapova was firmly in command of the second set and after Sania just about managed to hold her serve in the second game, the Russian won the next four games with élan, breaking Sania in the fourth and sixth in the process. It took the Russian 59 minutes to wrap it up but not before some running around the court.

Sharapova never found it easy against the Indian and was found wrong-footed a number of times, while Sania came up with blistering groundstrokes. The Indian, however, could not rein in her erratic, inconsistent display as unforced errors flowed from her racquet while six double faults, compared to one by Sharapova, marred her show. A poor second serve also undid most of her good work and the Indian was far too inconsistent to pose any serious threat to Sharapova even though it was a brilliant show in the end by the Indian. — UNI

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