The Hindu : Sport : I am not supernatural: Sania

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I am not supernatural: Sania

Tennis Correspondent

— Photo: AP

KEEP GOING: Sania Mirza shuts out controversies to get on with her business on court.

Melbourne: The past two weeks have not been the best of times for high-profile Indian sportspersons. In a grotesque twist of fate, they have been forced to ignore familiar workplace concerns regarding form and footwork, fitness and forehands and, instead, lose sleep over moral/ethical questions of the sort that are more likely to engage philosophers, psychologists and politicians.

If ‘Bollyline’ made it certain that the 2007-2008 tour of Australia by Anil Kumble’s team will go down in history as the most acrimonious sports series down under since Bodyline, then the only Indian sportsperson who, without having to bat or bowl, can still rival the cricketing superstars in the popularity sweepstakes, has had to deal with a few nasty bouncers herself.

Amidst the pungent aroma of over-heated emotions, with high rhetoric and dogmatic moralising leaving little room for rational analysis in the media, a sense of proportion might be too much to hope for.

But both Kumble’s men and Sania Mirza cannot be faulted if they did. A refreshing whiff of sanity might not hurt.

You have to feel sorry for Sania. It is a pity that a pioneering young sportswoman, who has been a wonderful sporting representative of her country worldwide, should be dragged into one emotionally draining controversy after another.

In the event, it was remarkable that the 21-year old from Hyderabad managed to shut out the off-court events of the last few weeks — particularly the national flag issue — to get on with her business on court in the Australian Open championship on Tuesday.

This place gives Sania a healthy, joyous adrenaline surge; and not without reason. For, it was here that the famous journey began three years ago when, as a wild card, she won two rounds before losing to Serena Williams.

After three eventful years that saw her become one of the most easily recognisable Indian athletes, Sania would much rather concentrate on her tennis — if only they would let her!

“It is not easy to deal with things like that off the court. It did affect me. I am not supernatural,” said Sania after beating Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan 6-4, 6-2 in a first round contest.

Asked if it was true that she considered quitting, Sania said, “Many questions went through my mind and that was one of them. But this (playing tennis) is what I like doing and I have to keep going.”

Tough rival

Tulyaganova was not an easy opponent. Once a top-20 player who won a gold medal in the 2002 Busan Asian Games, she has since dropped a long way in the rankings. Yet, she plays the sort of game that makes it difficult for an opponent to find any sort of rhythm. “She’s a tricky player. She doesn’t give you too many balls to hit,” said Sania.

The Indian, seeded 31, made a tremulous start, losing serve in the fourth game of the first set. But she immediately struck back to break Tulyaganova in the next game and quickly injected a strut into her court coverage.

Sania’s serves too improved midway in the first set and she was able to mostly decipher a proper path to the net, winning a clutch of crucial points in the forecourt while also provoking a flood of errors from the Uzbek with her powerful forehand drives. “I was not sure if I would be able to blank things out and play my best. I am happy I managed to do that,” said Sania, who takes on the Swiss Timea Bacsinszky in the second round.

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