Tatishvili puts out Sania Mirza

MIAMI : Georgian teenager Anna Tatishvili saw off Indian tennis star Sania Mirza on a rain-wrecked Thursday in the $6.9 million Miami WTA and ATP Masters Series tournament.

Tatishvili, who trains in Florida and had received a wild card, beat Sania 7-6(6), 1-6, 7-6(8) to claim her first match victory in her fourth WTA Tour event.

After letting slip a 4-0 lead in the third set, she fended off Sania's chances to take the match, despite admitting to nerves on the big stage of Stadium Court.

"I just really wanted to win," Tatishvili said. "She hung in there and she was playing some great tennis," said Sania, who this week received the WTA award for best newcomer of 2005, but who fell in an opening match for the third time in seven events in 2006.

"I guess it's a bit tough when you're not really playing the best tennis and the other girl is just playing some unbelievable shots," she said.

Hyderabad's young tennis players celebrate Sania Mirza's new WTA title

Hyderabad: Budding tennis players in Hyderabad today expressed pleasure over tennis ace Sania Mirza's selection as the best newcomer of the year for 2005 at the coveted WTA tennis awards.

People danced with joy and wished Sania luck in her life ahead.

"I am feeling very happy for her. I hope that she gets more awards. She should continue playing nicely and she should see that she does'nt become overconfident and play coolly," said Junaid, a young tennis player.

Janaki, another budding player, said she was awestruck by Mirza's aggressiveness, and added that she was the perfect role model for girls like her.

"She has a good forearm. She is very aggressive. She has beaten all good players and has also given a tough fight to other players. She has done well in her first Grand Slam. So, I think she is doing well," she said.

Narendranath, Mirza's former coach, says the recognition by WTA was a great honour.

"It's a good recognition to have because it's an organisation controlled by all tennis professionals and for them to recognise her as a potential newcomer is creditable," he said.

Nineteen-year-old Mirza was honoured with the best debutant award at a glittering ceremony on Tuesday in Miami where world number one Roger Federer and U.S. Open champion Kim Clijsters were named as professional tennis players of the year for 2005.

Mirza enjoyed a breakout season in 2005, capturing her first WTA title in Hyderabad and reaching the fourth round of the U.S. Open before succumbing to Russia's Maria Sharapova.

But her results in 2006 have been poor. She has won just three singles matches in five events since the turn of the year slipping from a career-high ranking of 31 at the end of 2005 to 45th.

Under the tutelage of Roger Federer's coach Tony Roche, Mirza has changed her service action and believes she's making progress. Off court, however, the Indian teenager has plenty to talk about.

Mirza has already had a taste of the celebrity that surrounds tennis greats, despite her achievement being no match for what the top names in the tennis circuit boast off.

That she was the first Indian woman to accomplish either feat has sent her popularity soaring among her one billion compatriots.

In just one year, she has become a sporting idol, a fashion icon and, like Maria Sharapova, needs her own entourage of burly security guards whenever she steps out from home.
Source: http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=30264

Sania adjudged best newcomer of 2005

India's tennis sensation Sania Mirza is now officially the best newcomer on the WTA Tour in 2005.

In an award ceremony in Miami on Tuesday night, she was honoured for being the best debutant last year.

Sania had a remarkable year as she became the first ever Indian singles winner on the WTA Tour when she won the Hyderabad Open.

She then beat two top 10 players on the way to her career best ranking of 31.

Sania mania yet to find a book value

NEW DELHI: NCERT spiked Sania’s name from the shortlist of personalities who could be held up as role models for inspiring students.

Tennis sensation Sania Mirza won't be held up by the NCERT as a role model for the youth. Her achievements in the cut-throat world of international tennis might have got the world all excited, but they haven’t been found sufficient to pass NCERT’s exacting standards.

Bachendri Pal, who climbed Mount Everest in 1984, has found favour over Sania’s more recent successes in NCERT textbooks, although many feel that students might have related more to Sania than Pal.

Ram Janma Sharma, head of NCERT’s languages department, is reported to have said that the idea was to portray a woman who was strong and overcame difficulties.

By this yardstick, it appears Sania failed to make the grade. When contacted, NCERT was quick to clarify that this was just a matter of making a choice among many great names.

"India has got many role models and you have to make a selection. For instance, just because one may have selected Tendulkar and have not Gavaskar does not mean that we don’t think that Gavaskar is an icon," said an NCERT spokesperson.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1452097,curpg-1.cms

Sania Mirza, Mahendra Singh Dhoni favourite Holi Pitchkaris of Kolkata kids

Kolkata: The kids of Kolkata are ready to play Holi this year with Pitchkaris named after the Tennis Queen Sania Mirza and Cricket master Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Pitchkaris with pictures of the sports stars have also beaten the popularity of Bollywood’s filmstars who remained a favourite with kids here in the past.

“This year different Pitchkaris have come with pictures of Sania Mirza and Dhoni. Pichkaris with pictures of film stars were common thing earlier but pictures of sports persons is a new thing this year which are in great demand,” said Gaurang Chakravarty, a Pitchkari seller.

The tiny tots who are thronging the colour shops along with their parents are showing great interest in picking up these sports Pitchkaris as they cannot resist the temptation of their friends carrying them back at home.

“There is a great demand for Pitchkaris with pictures of sports persons and film artists. The popular sports personalities have fascinated the kids a lot. Children like them and that’s why their demand is on the rise,” said Gautam Bhatshali, a shopkeeper.

Besides Saina Mirza and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, Virendra Sehwag and many other sports persons are also showing a great craving of children here.

Dementieva ends Sania's Pacific Open campaign

Indian Wells: Sania Mirza ran out of steam against her Russian fourth seed opponent Elena Dementieva and went down 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 in her third round match to bow out of the $ 2.1 million Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells.

Sania started well in the two-hour-long battle but the Russian came back strongly after being a set down to clinch the match.

The Indian broke her opponent thrice in the first set to win it 7-5 but her tendency to let the momentum slip, again proved to be her undoing as Dementieva held on in the next two sets to stage a comeback.

Sania was broken four times in the second set by the Russian who won the set comfortably 6-4.

The match went in to the decider where Dementieva proved to be too good for the Indian and despite committing six double faults, the Russian managed to march ahead after winning the set 6-4.

It was a disappointing result for the Indian, who gave a spirited fight to the higher ranked player and did not commit a single double fault in the match. It was also the first time this year that Sania managed to reach the third round of a singles competition.

Sania had earlier beaten local qualifier Bethanie Mattek 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 in the second round.

Sania-Sugiyama enter 2nd round of Pacific Life Open

Sania Mirza marked her return from an elbow injury with a fighting victory in the doubles event at the USD 2.1 million WTA Tour Pacific Life Open in California, on Thursday.

The 19-year old, who suffered the injury on her serving arm two weeks ago, partnered Ai Sugiyama of Japan to defeat Antonella Serra Zanetti of Italy and Stephanie Foretz of France 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the Tier 1 event at Indian Wells.

Sania, whose world ranking had slipped to 45, had a bye in the singles first round and is scheduled to play a qualifier in the second round.

Sania Mirza hopes to partner Israeli Peer again

Sania Mirza is hoping to renew her doubles partnership with Israel's Shahar Peer despite protests from some Muslim and Jewish groups.

Mirza, whose poor recent form has seen her slip from a career-high ranking of 31 at the end of 2005 to 45th, said she would have played with Peer at this week's Pacific Life Open, but the Israeli player had already booked a partner.

"You shouldn't mix up sports with anything else," the 19-year-old told Reuters at the March 8-19 tournament in Indian Wells.

"If I had to follow the stereotype of what a woman athlete should be in India, then I wouldn't be playing tennis because there aren't many girls who pick up rackets when they are six. If you believe it's right, if your loved ones believe it's right, then it's right."

Mirza and Peer united for the first time when they reached the quarter-finals of the event in Bangkok last October, but their partnership was met with anger by some religious groups.

"We are playing sports," Peer said at the time in Thailand. "We don't think about politics. It's a good idea to bring (cultures) together, but we will play together because we want to and will have good results."

Bush made special mention of Kalpana Chawla and Sania Mirza

New Delhi: Addressing a select gathering from the ramparts of Purana Qila on Friday, U.S. President George W. Bush launched a charm offensive; he opened his speech with "namaste" and made special mention of Kalpana Chawla and Sania Mirza.

The flavour of his 25-minute televised speech wrapping up his three-day visit was distinctly Indian, with references to Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru as well as prominent contemporaries.

``Tonight we stand on the ruins of an ancient city that was the capital of an Indian kingdom thousands of years ago. Today it is a part of a modern Asian city that is the capital of one of the world's great nations.

``At the heart of the civilisation that helped give the world mathematics, cutting edge businesses ... that now give us the technology of tomorrow."``When you come to India in the 21st Century you are inspired by the past and you can see the future,'' he said.