Oops! Double Jolt For Sania, Slips One Place Each In Singles And Doubles

India’s tennis sensation Sania Mirza slipped one place down in both singles and doubles latest WTA rankings released today. Sania has been able to maintain her 27 th position for the last three weeks but couldn’t hold further due to a fortnight long absence from the court.

The 20-year-old Hyderabadi girl who is out of action after losing to Russian Anna Chakvetadze in the third round of the US Open, has been nursing a wrist injury, which also forced her to miss the Sunfeast Open WTA event that concluded in Kolkata yesterday.

According to latest WTA rankings, Sania now stands at 28 th in singles and 19 th in doubles event. However, her compatriot Sunitha Rao is back in the top-200 bracket as she jumped 15 places up from 211 to 196. This could become possible only because, she managed to move in to the second round of the just concluded Sunfeast Open.

The newly crowned Sunfeast Open champion Maria Kirilenko of Russia is just one place behind Sania in the singles ranking. She climbed up six places to be placed at the 29 th spot by virtue of her victory in the Sunfeast Open yesterday.

Source: http://www.newstrackindia.com/newsdetails/992

Sania Needs To Do More

Sania Mirza, India’s tennis icon for aspiring women players has been on a song in recent weeks. In fact she has never had so good after her big jump two years ago. And when she beat Martina Hingis, currently ranked 12 in the world, to enter the pre-quarter-finals of the $600,000 WTA Tour event in Los Angeles, Sania appeared to have reached her maximum potential

Having drifted into the wilderness somewhat after her dizzy rise, Sania appears to have spent a lot of time learning even while recuperating from niggling injuries. The improvement showed in the Cincinnati Open where she made the semi-final grade. This was followed with the final in Stanford and another impressive display in San Diego pushed her up to the quarter-finals.

In all these tournaments she beat players rated well above her, and with the victory over Martina, she stood at 29, a ranking she could not have possibly dreamt of at the beginning of the year where nothing worked for her. By August end, the 20-year old Hyderabadi scaled new career-high rankings - 27th in singles and four places to 20th in doubles in the latest WTA rankings.

Sania Mirza is the best thing that could have happened to Indian women’s tennis. Her achievements have been followed keenly by younger players and today, thanks to Sania, more and more girls are taking to the game. That of course was to be expected.

Indian tennis is certainly on the move at the lower level though one wishes the same could be said for the higher spots where it would be impossible to think of the country’s fate but for aging shoulders of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, still formidable personalities, particularly in the doubles irrespective of whom they are partnering. Following his recent exploits at New Haven partnering Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia, Mahesh Bhupathi rose two places to figure at the 18th position, while his erstwhile partner Leander Paes maintained his 8th position.

In the ATP rankings released August end, Rohan Bopanna dropped an unimaginable 38 places to stand at 261st position. His other compatriots Prakash Amritraj and upcoming Karan Rastogi also followed his suit slipping two and four places, to be placed at 272nd and 344th positions respectively. The only consolation in the singles rankings was Sunil Kumar Sipaeya, moving up six rungs to be in the 446th position.

Coming back to Sania Mirza, one feels that the Indian star, despite the tremendous performance in recent weeks, has to work much harder if she has to break into the top twenties or even higher ranks. There is a lot of difference in the tennis played in these categories.

The difference was obvious when Sania met Maria Sharapova, the Russian ace recently. Maria won in straight sets, hardly raising a sweat and Sania was brought down to the earth. In fact, it is a different ball game when players in the top ten meet players in the top twenty and lower.

Sania has to improve her service if she has to make an impression in the top ten. She has the determination and that should help her work to match with the highest grade of players in the world. But for that she has to wait for some more time.

Source: http://www.asiantribune.com/index.php?q=node/7447

Sachin, Sania Admire Each Other

Cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar and tennis star Sania Mirza may have won plaudits for performing well in their chosen disciplines, but that has not diminished their admiration for each other.

While Sania admires the little master's ability to handle enormous pressure for years, Tendulkar is gung ho over Sania's accomplishments on the tennis court.

Declaring that Tendulkar was her childhood hero, 20-year-old Sania today said, "I just wonder how he handles so much pressure. I admire him because now I have to handle a lot of pressure myself. But he is doing that for years."

The glamorous tennis star said such was the level of expectation from Tendulkar that when he got out for 97 it was written that he got out at a score below 100.

Tendulkar, a keen follower of tennis, said the exploits of players like Sania, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi made him feel proud.

"It is wonderful to see such terrific players turning out for India. With such sports personalities around, you feel proud to be an Indian," the little master said.

"I've followed her rise in rankings. She is progressing well. It's terrific and I am confident that she will be right there among the top players," Tendulkar said.

While Sania said she would have loved to be a cricketer had she not taken to tennis, Tendulkar regretted that he would not have the opportunity to play with the Hyderabadi in the fun tennis scheduled for the afternoon.

"Unfortunately, I'm not a guy. Otherwise, I could have become a cricketer," Sania said.

"I would have loved to play with Sania. She is one of the hardest hitters of balls on court. You see balls flying fast. She has that special gift," the cricketer said.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/007200709181965.htm

Sania Uncertain For Sunfeast Open: Bhupathi

Sania Mirza, nursing a wrist injury, will take a final decision on her participation in the next week's $175,000 WTA Sunfeast Open only after reaching here, said Mahesh Bhupathi, who heads tournament promoters 'Globosport'.

Sania, on a roll in the WTA circuit this year, has been troubled by the nagging injury for a long time and aggravated it during her US Open campaign.

"We know she is injured. But she'll definitely travel to Kolkata where she will take the final decision. At this moment, we don't know the extent of her injury," Bhupathi said.

The ace doubles player, however, said Sania as well as the organisers were hoping that her wrists recovers in time so that she takes part in the tournament, which might otherwise lose some of its sheen.

"She will take a final call on participating in the event closer to the tournament. We are hoping that she will play. And I can tell you, she is also hoping the same," he said.

"We're even prepared to delay her opening match if that makes it possible for her to take to the court," Bhupathi said.

Sania, the country' best ever women's tennis star, has zoomed to the 27th spot in WTA rankings after a series of good showings in the last few months.

Equally acclaimed for her on-court aggression, blitz forehand as also her beauty and glamour, Sania had been the biggest crowdpuller in the first two years of the tourney in 2005 and 2006.

Though she lost in the second round in the inaugural year, Sania reached the singles semis last year losing to top seed Swiss Miss Martina Hingis besides lifting the doubles title pairing South African Liezel Huber.

With the tournament hardly drawing a full house in the first two years of its existence despite Sania's presence, the organisers could find the returns from ticket sales harder to come if Sania is forced to opt out.

Source: http://sports.indiatimes.com/Sania_uncertain_for_Sunfeast_Open/articleshow/2359482.cms

Sania Ready For Sunfeast Open

High on confidence after a successful US hard court season, Sania Mirza says she is keen to prove herself in front of home fans in the upcoming Sunfeast Open.

Sania said her improved fitness was a key factor in her recent success and that she was eager to give her best at the USD 170,000 WTA Tour event without any fear of "winning or losing".

"Right now I am focusing on my fitness and I will be happy if I continue the same level of fitness in the Sunfeast Open. Winning or losing doesn't matter to me," she said.

Sania said her five wins against top-20 players and getting the better of former world number one Martina Hingis were her best moments during the remarkable run in the US.

"One of the most satisfying things has been defeating Hingis. Winning against the top-20 players has been a high point as well," Sania said on her return from the US.

The 20-year-old Indian had a stupendous two-month sojourn, rising to 26th in world rankings as she reached the semifinals in Cincinnati and her maiden final of a USD 600,000 event in Stanford.

"It has been a fabulous hard court tour for me. I am happy with the progress I have made. It feels great to be in the top-30," the Hyderabadi girl said.

Asked what was her next target, Sania said, "I am taking it as it comes."

On hiring a full-time coach, Sania said she was gaining a lot from the present arrangement of former men's player Gabriel Urpi advising her during important events while her father Imran Mirza donned the role of the coach.

"Right now I am happy with the team available to me. Urpi and my father are combining to help me," she said.

Source: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/007200709092240.htm

Sania's US Open Campaign Ends With Doubles Loss

Sania Mirza crashed out of the women's doubles of the US Open at the Flushing Meadows in New York on Tuesday when she and her American partner Bethanie Mattek lost their quarter-final match.

The Indo-American pair failed to get past fifth seed Yung-Jan Chan and Chia-Jung Chauang of Taiwan.

Sania and Bethanie lost the first set 3-6 but came right back to take the second 6-3.

They were in control of the game in the third set as well but the Taaiwanese pair won some crucial points in the end to take the decider 6-4 and with it the match.

With the loss Sania's campaign at the Flushing Meadows has come to an end.

Source: http://www.ibnlive.com/news/sanias-us-open-campaign-ends-with-doubles-loss/48077-5.html

Sania Scratching Her Head To Solve Chakvetadze Mystery

Sania Mirza's victory caravan halts abruptly at a speed breaker called Anna Chakvetadze and, after the US Open third round loss, the Indian ace is scratching her head over how to clear the obstacle off her way in future.

Sania was tamed by Chakvetadze 6-2, 6-3 at the Flushing Meadows yesterday and it was the fourth time in her career that the Hyderabadi fell to the World No.6 Russian meekly.

"I find it very hard to play her. She is very hard for a lot of players. I had to do something different. I didn't change it up enough," Sania said after her US Open dream came crashing down.

In the tune-up to the season-ending Grand Slam, Sania was in great form and defeated four top-20 players. But every time she met Chakvetadze, the story unfolded with the same script.

Sania lost to the 20-year-old Russian in the finals at Stanford, in semifinals in Cincinnati and in the last-four encounter at Hobart in January.

So far, in all the four meetings, Sania has been able to win just one set.

"You have to find a way to win. There are very few Grand Slam champions and finalists. That's our target. We are trying to get there," Sania said.

Sania Mirza Out!

Sania Mirza still cannot find a way to overcome her friend and former junior doubles partner Anna Chakvetadze, who ousted the 26th-seeded India star from the US Open in straight sets Saturday.

Russian world number six Chakvetadze downed Mirza 6-2, 6-3 in a third-round showdown of 20-year-old rising stars at the year's final Grand Slam tournament, improving her career and season mastery over Mirza to 4-0.

Chakvetadze ousted Sania Mirza in a Hobart semi-final in January and defeated her again in July at a Cincinnati semi-final and the final at Stanford. The Russian won the title in each of those tournaments.

Chakvetadze hit a forehand winner to break Mirza's first service game of the match and broke again in the last game of the set when Mirza hit a forehand long after having denied the Russian on two prior set points.

Mirza fell behind 5-1 in the second set before rallying, breaking when Chakvetadze sent a backhand wide and denying the sixth seed on a match point when the Russian sent a forehand wide.

Chakvetadze held serve to end the match after 53 minutes on a forehand winner, advancing to a round of 16 match against either Swiss 11th seed Patty Schnyder of Austria's Tamira Paszek.

Source: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gxUZYKH_73OKJN7sRmHScq86liqA