It's pretty obvious that Sania Mirza isn't fast or technically sound enough to win clay court matches against the elite player. That's what she admits, and what Anastasia Myskina said after the '04 Roland Garros champ stung her 6-4, 6-1.
Mirza was in the first set but, after that, Myskina ran her ragged. So much for Saniamania-infecting Paris.
"Clay's not her surface, that's for sure," Myskina said. "I don't think she likes to play here because it's long rallies and she likes to hit the ball so hard. She doesn't have any patience at all here. ... She plays the same game . You gets used to her game and you can read her game, especially on clay. You just have to do something and if you are able to do it, it's pretty easy."
India's Mirza had no upbringing on the surface and said she's a long way from getting used to the dirt. She says that she needs to learn to hit eight to 10 hard balls in a row instead of the two to three that might be effective on grass. She also admits that foot speed is not her strength. All that adds up to is a 19-year-old who has a long, long way to go before she becomes a Top-20 player. And, considering that she just came back after a month off due back, elbow and wrist injuries, she also might be hard pressed to do anything at all this year beyond defending her Top 50 status.
"It's hard," she said. "That's the disadvantages of growing up in a country where you don't the developed training yet. I'm finding out now about muscles that I didn't think I had. I'm working a lot harder off court to prevent these injures."
As always, Sania wasn't ready to lower expectations of herself. But she does believe that she can become a top player.
"When I was growing up, a lot of people said my family and I were wasting time spending so much time in tennis," she said. "They were wrong. I've always believed in myself and I still believe I can get there or I wouldn't be here."
At this point, Sania has nowhere near the look of a Top-10 player. Sure, she has huge forehand, a decent backhand and a solid return, but players have figured out that if you can handle rallies beyond three balls. Her defense is shabby and she can' hit winners on the dead run. Unless you are the size of Lindsay Davenport and have her textbook, accurate strokes, a player cannot push far up the ladder unless she learns how to grind out some points. That's Sania's challenge.
Myskina's challenge is getting her confidence back and is still not quite there after her well-documented, harrowing first half of 2005, when he mother was seriously ill and she lost all of her on-court focus. She's still a decent Top-15 player, but has not shown her former Top-5 level.
She believes she getting close now saying her confidence is around a '7."
Source: http://www.tennisreporters.net/blog_rg_053006.html
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