The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Sania unfazed by criticism

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 16, 2006
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Sania unfazed by criticism

New Delhi: Sania Mirza is unrattled by the criticism that has followed her recent drop in rankings on WTA charts and says she has learnt to take failures in her stride.

Wiser perhaps on turning 20 — which she did on Wednesday — Sania said it was difficult to live up to the expectations of a billion people.

"The pressure of expectations is part of every sportsperson's life. I have become conditioned to it now and anyway you cannot live up to the expectations of everyone," said the tennis star who finished the year ranked 66th after starting it on an enviable 31st.

The Hyderabadi lass said she found it amazing how the cricketers handled the pressure that comes from playing the country's favourite sport.

"In terms of popularity tennis has only caught up lately. Indians have been crazy about cricket since ages. I really admire the cricketers for their ability to handle with ease all the pressure," she said at a promotional event here on Tuesday.

The pressure and the mindgames involved in sports has drawn her into psychology and she wants to pursue the subject seriously once she gives up tennis. "If I had not been a tennis player, I would have been a psychologist. In fact I am pursuing psychology right now and once I give up tennis, I will think of a career in psychology," she said. — PTI

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