New Delhi: It’s been an eventful year for Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza, who has seen more downs than ups courtesy a string of injuries and inconsistent form.
Amid all this, Sania celebrates her 20th birthday on Wednesday, a day after Children’s Day, with all the youngsters in the country looking up to her.
Even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday, while celebrating Children’s Day with the country’s future, cited her name alongside cricketing maestro Sachin Tendulkar as perfect role models whose footsteps they should follow.
Sania has had a forgettable year since the opening Grand Slam event of the year, the Australian Open, where she put up a brave front to six-time Grand Slammer Serena Williams, but eventually went down in straight sets in the third round.
What began as a testing year for the girl from Hyderabad, Sania, who was ranked 32 in the world then, was praised by the former World Number one, who said she was the next big thing in the women’s circuit.
Serena said that Sania possesses one of the best forehands in women’s tennis, which was later to be reiterated by several of sports’ experts and greats.
But then started the slump. Sania, troubled by worrisome injuries throughout the season, lost several of her relatively easy match-ups with lower-ranked players.
Her temperament was questioned by critics, her rising fame facing the wrath even more. Frequent shifting of coaches didn’t help her cause either.
Expectations were high and handsome during the Sunfeast Open in Kolkata, but the presence of a spirited Martina Hingis cut her run short in front of a cheering home crowd.
But Sania was to have the final say at the following tournament a week later in South Korea, where she downed Hingis in three gruelling sets.
It is obvious that Sania’s run of form has hit a purple patch throughout the year and defeating Hingis has been the only high point. Certainly no feat when pitted against her meteoric rise in 2005.
However, with the dust settled over the WTA tour for the year, Sania now has two major hurdles lined up to counter – the Asian Hopman’s Cup that starts next week where she pairs up with Leander Paes, and the Asian Games in Doha, where she and Paes again will be fighting to retain their gold medal at the turn of the year.
But in spite of all the ups and downs, the tennis prodigy remains the heartthrob of Young India. And when Sania cuts her birthday cake on Wednesday, the nation is around her to raise a toast for a brighter future ahead.
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