Sania Mania
Since time in memorial, Indian sports stars have had to choose between two options. Either be a star and shine like the demi gods in our Indian cricket or play some other sport and remain an unknown entity. I am sure of raising a few eyebrows with my last statement I made but that is the sorry state of affairs in our country.
Guys! Let’s face it, we are diehard fans of cricket and even I am one among them but then other sports need to be given the importance and fan following that they require and I am happy to see a few changes which are a welcome.
Sania Mirza started playing tennis when she was all of six and has never looked back since. The following are some of the statistics of Sania:-
Name - Sania Mirza
Date of Birth- 15 November 1986
Place of Birth – Mumbai
Height – 1.67 M
Father’s name- Mr. Imran Mirza
Mother’s name- Mrs. Nasima Mirza
Sister’s name – Anam Mirza
Favourite sports star- Mr. Sachin Tendulkar
Favourite – Salwars, Jeans
Favorite colors – Red, Blue, Black
She is the new kid on the block whose power tennis has veterans in awe and opponents in shock. She has taken the tennis world by storm. Her phenomenal success in a breathtakingly short span, the huge buzz each time plays, the growing legion of fans who show up at stadiums all over the world, the fact that she was, according to the WTA website, the third most photographed woman player at the US open and refreshingly frank approach to tennis and life and not to mention the nose ring and the funky t shirts and earring collection have virtually catapulted her to the new and the next greatest sporting icon of the country and today in on par with the Sachins and the Sehwags.
Mirza’s skyrocketing popularity is what inspired Dubai based Peter Hutton , Vice President ( programming) of Taj Television, the company behind Ten Sports, to invest in tennis coverage and it was indeed a smart move. She is now at the same level as cricketer Rahul Dravid ( Rs. 1.5 crore a year for each endorsement) and second only to our Sachin Tendulkar and this girl deserves every paisa.
At the recently held US open, the Arthur Ashe stadium was full of raucous Indian Americans, waving the Indian flag and screaming slogans. Their numbers grew as Mirza made her way to round 16.
Mirza was a familiar sight in the junior and turned professional last year and this year reached the third round of the Australian open, losing to eventual champion Serena Williams. After a first round exits from the 2005 French Open she bounced back to reach the second round of Wimbledon losing to Kuznetsova in a three setter.
Sania’s rising profile is world tennis is evident in the coverage she is getting on international media. Playing the US Open main court- with the largest capacity among all Grand Slams- and against tournament favorite Sharapova, Mirza was not intimidated et all.
Hers is the most remarkable rise in Indian sport, from a virtual unknown two years ago to someone with the status of a superstar and a role model for millions of teenagers.
Sania is a precious talent but eventually how she handles pressures, her weaknesses and her high ranked opponents on court will decide her future.
Let us look at Sania’s strengths and weaknesses :
Strengths
1.Precocious talent. Has registered the fastest rising ranking in the WTA tour
2.Forehand, as good as it gets.
3.Double handed backhand has become potent.
4.Aggression which is very much needed in this sport
5.Mentally strong
6.Has irreverence for big names and an attitude that every player is beatable.
7.Baseline play, good as anyone on the tour.
8.Shows no signs on nerves.
9.Now has a full time traveling coach.
10.Sponsorship and money for tour no longer an issue.
11.Age is by her side as she is just 18.
Weaknesses
1.Serve which is the weakest part of her game.
2.Her net instinct needs to improve. Playing more doubles would help.
3.Court coverage has no doubt improved but still to get better.
4.Prone to injury.
5.Needs to slim down and she still has the baby fat and needs to strengthen her legs more.
6.Consistency is the key in this game and she needs to work on that aspect seriously.
7.Shot selection is flawed and wants to hit a winner every ball which does not work always.
8.Allergic to long rallies.
Now you readers move on to the comments section to read quotes on Sania by famous sport personalities and other eminent people including Sania herself.