Anup’s Home Page

Asserting that singles matches were her priority, Indian tennis star Sania Mirza on Friday said that she may miss out some doubles matches in order to prolong her singles career.
“Singles are the priority for me. Since I’m young enough I will try to prolong my singles career till my body holds up”, said Sania who was in Mumbai for a promotional event for Cadbury’s.

“I’ve been playing quite well in singles so I’m trying to balance it out between singles and doubles matches. I might as well skip a few doubles’ events here and there”, she said.

The 22-year-old Hyderabadi, who won the mixed doubles crown at the Australian Open with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi in January this year and made it to the singles final of the Pattaya Open earlier this month, said she was happy with the way her career was shaping up and has set herself new goals.

Sania, who had to withdraw from the Fed Cup earlier this month due to a wrist injury, said she was happy with her fitness after her injury woes in 2008.

“I have been practising in Hyderabad for the past one week and my wrist has held up very well. We do have a few niggles here and there but overall I’m happy with my fitness,” she said.

Sania Mirza slipped 13 places to 88 in the WTA singles rankings, released on Monday. In the doubles ranking she lost 9 places to stand at 72.

“I like the way my career is going right now,” she enthused. “I feel I’m playing well and there’s no major injury as of now.”

And like many others before her, playing more doubles has helped her regain composure while playing singles.

“It (playing doubles along with singles) has always been like that,” said Sania. “But singles was, and will always be a priority till my body holds up.”

Does that mean she will cut down on her doubles assignments?

“I may have to sacrifice some doubles tournaments to further my singles career,” she reasoned. “But I will try to balance it out as much as possible.The Indian is heading for Las Vegas for a stint with Gil Reyes, the former strength and conditioning trainer for the University of Nevada-Las Vegas who has been associated with big names like Andre Agassi.

“Gil is the best trainer in the world,” said Sania. “He’s trained the likes of Agassi and more recently Fernando (Verdasco) and I am looking forward to training with him.”

There’s a tinge of regret though.

“I know one week is not enough but definitely it is a beginning,” lamented Sania.

Whatever she has achieved so far has undoubtedly been a first for an Indian woman but still there remains many more goals.

“I think it is human nature to be greedy,” reasoned Sania, a tad philosophical. “I may have achieved a lot so far but I keep building new goals for myself.”

But ask her if there is a target she has set for the rest of year and she nods her head in disagreement.

Talk then veers to Yuki Bhambri and Sania goes to a rehearsed speech even before the question can be completed.

“Yuki is our biggest talent at the moment,” she said. “He’s a guy to look out for in the years to come. But I sincerely hope he makes a smooth transition from the junior level to the senior circuit,” she adds cautiously.

So with herself, Mahesh (Bhupathi), Leander (Paes) and Yuki doing well is this the start of yet another good spell for Indian tennis?

“At the Australian Open, we had three finalists — Yuki was playing in the boys’ singles, Mahesh in the men’s doubles and myself and Mahesh in the mixed,” she said.

“So it was pretty good for India. I would say Indian tennis is at its healthiest best today.

“But it is definitely harder to sustain the momentum.”

Renowned fitness trainer Gil Reyes, who has worked with top stars like Ana Ivanovic and Fernando Verdasco, on Monday lauded Sania Mirza’s ‘athleticism’ after working for one week with the tennis ace.
Sania Mirza, who missed India’s Fed cup campaign due to an abdominal injury after winning her career’s first Grand Slam mixed doubles title at Australian Open, trained with Reynes at his Las Vegas centre.
Sania’s coach Sven Groeneveld was also there with her during the stint.
“I have enjoyed the training sessions with Sania. I am truly impressed with her athleticism. She has natural athletic ability and has been well coached,” Reyes said.
“Professional tennis has become quite physical and will continue to do so. Adding a strength and power to a natural athlete like Sania could certainly improve her tennis game, specially speed, movement and court coverage,” he said.
The Spanish trainer said the kind of injury Sania picked up recently, she should be given adequate time to recover.
“It is important to respect Sania’s recent wrist injury and not force the issue. However, she has been training her lower body with great focus and intensity. I can understand the enthusiasm about Sania’s future and I share the enthusiasm,” Reyes said.
Reyes also expressed his willingness to work with Sania again.
“I hope that her schedule will include many training days at my training center in Las Vegas because I believe that by adding greater physical capabilities to her abundant tennis talent, Sania will enjoy a very successful career as a professional athlete.”

TCA has signed on Tennis sensation Sania Mirza as ambassador of TVS Scooty Streak

Las Vegas, for Sania Mirza, was a week of heavy work and a chance meeting. The Indian star ran into her childhood idol, the legendary German Steffi Graf, at Gil Reyes’ training centre and was at a loss for words.

“I’d just finished practice and was walking back to the car with my father, we were going back to the hotel. That’s when I spotted Steffi coming my way. She was just a few yards away. She was coming in for a hit herself,” an excited Sania said.

“I’ve always been a great admirer of Steffi,” said Sania, who like her idol enjoys dominating matches with her forehand. “I felt like a fan when I met her. This was my first meeting with her. She was so nice,” Sania said of Graf.

“She introduced herself and enquired about my practice session. I just about managed to mumble something.”

Sania Mirza gained a place on the singles chart to rise to No.87 in the WTA rankings released Monday. In the doubles rankings too she inched forward by a place to rise to the 71st position.

Sania Mirza will kick off her campaign at Indian Wells tennis tournament against Ukrainian Mariya Koryttseva.

The 87th ranked Indian has been given a wildcard and for the first time will meet Koryttseva, ranked 96, here Tuesday.

Sania, 22, has been training with Andre Agassi’s trainer Gil Reyes in Las Vegas and has shown form by winning the Australian Open mixed doubles title in January and then made it to the final at Pattaya Open last month. She made a comeback earlier this year from a wrist injury.

If Sania wins her first round clash, in the next round she is certain to run into 12th-seeded Flavia Pennetta, who got a bye in the first round.

In the doubles, Sania will pair Taiwan’s (Chinese Taipei) Chia-Jung Chuang and will face her former partner Shahar Peer of Israel and Gisela Dulko of Argentina

Wild card Sania Mirza came back from the brink to beat Ukrainian Mariya Koryttseva in a grueling three-setter and enter the second round of the USD 4.5 million BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Sania trailed 2-6 1-3 before bouncing back to win the match 2-6 6-3 6-2 and set up a tough clash against 12th seed Italian Flavia Pennetta, who got a first-round bye.

In a contest that ended just three seconds short of being two hours long, Sania was completely outplayed in the opening set in which Koryttseva broke her thrice to clinch it 6-2.

The Indian seemed headed for a straight-set defeat as she trailed 1-3 after being broken once in the second set.

But Sania soon got her act together to save four break points and break back twice to equalise.

The Hyderabadi player dominated the decider and broke an error-prone Koryttseva twice to wrap up the marathon battle in her favour.

In doubles, Sania has teamed up with Taipei’s Chia-Jung Chuang and the duo will open its campaign against the Argentine-Israeli team of Gisela Dulko and Shahar Peer.