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
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