KOLKATA : The big lady of Indian tennis Sania Mirza, feels success has made her more responsible. She said this while talking to school children whom she visited on Monday as part of the promotional campaign organised by the sponsor of Sunfeast Open, ITC Foods Ltd.

Sania, who has kept herself away from the media attention here in a bid to focus on her game, mingled with the children unhesitatingly.

Note of advice

The first note of advice that she had to offer was — mind what you say. "I have to measure every word I utter. An `if or but' from my lips can create a national crisis,'' the 19-year-old said.

Relishing every moment

She said her success in international tennis over the last two yeas has made her more responsible. "In whatever I do, I have to be careful,'' she said in front of around 50 students who relished every moment of their time they spent with her.

She tackled all the odd questions with a smile. When asked to relate the funniest moment on court, she recalled an incident during a similar WTA event at Hyderabad two years ago. "I don't know whether it will be proper to narrate it before school children,'' she said pausing briefly but continued, "by the side of the court, there was a guy with a placard `Sania, marry me'. And beside him were three other guys, each holding aloft placards `and me, `and me' and me,'' she said to merriment of her listeners.

She was even more candid when another student asked about her idol. "Well, it is Steffi Graf. But whenever I met her, I could never open my mouth. I hope I'll able to break my silence some day,'' she said. Sania also urged the students to follow their dreams. "And you must try to enjoy what you are doing''

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