The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : `Should be an exciting tournament'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 05, 2006
ePaper

Sport

Sport - Tennis

`Should be an exciting tournament'

Principal Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Sania Mirza believes that the Asian Hopman Cup team championship featuring the best players from each country, to be held here from November 22 to 26, should be exciting and very tough.

In an informal chat with the media after the Sports Minister M. Satyanarayana Rao gave details about the event, Sania said that it was always a great experience to partner Leander Paes with whom she had won the bronze medal in the Asian Games.

China, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Uzbekistan besides the host will be in the fray for the event.

"Any international event is going to be tough and the Hopman Cup is no different. If you remember that when China fielded its team for the Fed Cup championship its lowest ranked players were in the 70s and 80s in the world rankings," she said.

Sania said that the presence of big names from Thailand such as Srichaphan and Tanasugarn should bring the crowds to the Fateh Maidan Tennis Complex. "Personally, it is a great privilege to play in front of home crowd and I do look at the Hopman Cup as the ideal warm-up event before the Doha Asian Games," she added.

"I am almost 100 per cent fit. The focus now will be more on physical conditioning and a South African trainer is expected to join me within the next few days," Sania said. Asked whether she set any targets, the star said that she had not yet given any thought to next year's plans and it was too early to comment. "Right now the focus is on the Hopman Cup and the Doha Asian Games.''

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport