Playing for the country is priority for Sania
October 18th, 2010By Jilawatan
Sania Mirza’s WTA ranking has been sea-sawing these last few weeks. The numbers against the Hyderabadi’s name has slipped to 136 from the 120s of two weeks ago and will in all likelihood sink to the 170s when the new ranking comes out on Monday.
The tennis story of Hyderabad can broadly be classified in two phases: Before Sania and After Sania. When the local Hyderabadi with a powerful forehand found a never-been-there place (for any Indian woman tennis player) in the WTA rankings, the ripple effect of Sania’s bull run was felt in the city. From a handful of eight tennis academies in the year 2003, there are now 40, the number of young girls joining the academies increasing with each win scripted by Sania.
Sania Mirza may be enjoying her first significant success, post-injury, winning the silver in the women’s singles at the Commonwealth Games but the tennis star doesn’t hide her disappointment talking about the women’s game in the country.
India’s all-time best women’s tennis player Sania Mirza says she is close to her best, and the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games gave her confidence, raising her hopes to go one better at next month’s Asian Games.