The success of an Indian teenage tennis star is set to have a major positive effect on sport in a country which won just one medal at the last Olympics - despite being home to a billion people.19-year-old Sania Mirza, from Hyderabad, has so far risen to be ranked 34 in the women's rankings in the sport, and has caused a stir as much by what she wears on court as her performances.
Last year she became the first Indian woman to reach the fourth round of the US Open, although she went out in the second round of the recent Australian Open.
Novy Kapadia, one of India's leading sports commentators, told BBC World Service's Sports International programme that Mirza's "phenomenal achievement" had made her into a role model in the country.
"She has the same killer approach as Steffi Graf. She's just shown that an ordinary Indian girl can achieve a lot with dedication," he said.
"Sania Mirza is also a success story because the tennis federation, to a certain extent, has been able to market her.
"We have the board of control for cricket in India are like Chelsea in England - they are way above. But there is a vacuum in Indian sport, and sports like tennis and shooting are coming up because they have been able to modernise."
'Great motivator'
Mirza's success has been inspiring for a country yet to register on the global sporting map outside of cricket and hockey. [Read More...]
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