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‘Singles
has always been my priority’
Sania Mirza has bagged
both Singles and Doubles titles at the $ 25000 ITF Tournament
in Lagos last week. This is a repeat of her last $10000 ITF
finals at London on Independence Day. At a time when the question
for Men’s Tennis is “After Leander Who?” a
bright star is shooting up on the horizon for Indian Women’s
Tennis. TWF correspondent H. Balakrishnan in conversation
with Sania.
You bagged both Singles and Doubles Titles in Lagos.
Earlier, you had two titles from London on 15th August! You
have done the country proud. How does it feel?
Well, it’s a great feeling. I feel happy whenever
I go out to play. I am happy I could win in UK and Lagos.
You won the Wrexam title earlier. What is the essential
difference between that and London?
When you play at different places, there is some difference
but you have to adjust to it. London was a bit tougher. Both
were hard courts, though.
You were the first Indian to have won a Wimbledon girls’
title. What do you think of your peers in the game?
Well, there was another from India who reached the finals
at Wimbledon, and I managed to win it this time. But then,
things have changed a lot and you can’t compare the tennis
played 50 or 100 years ago with how it is played now.
In the entire Asia, there are hardly any top players in
women’s tennis. Why is it so?
I think, generally, it’s a physical thing. Asians are
built smaller than Europeans or Americans. But I think we
are getting there now.
This is your first year in the senior circuit. What’s
your goal for the year?
At the moment, I want to get lots of experience playing the
women’s circuit. It’s in November when I turn 18
that things really matter. Right now, I shall be happy if
I get into the top 250 or 200 at the end of this year.
Are you very conscious about ranking?
You obviously have to be, for that’s what you are working
for. If you go on working hard, you will go up in ranking.
Does it affect you in any way? Don’t you think that
this system is something like a snake and ladder game?
It has to be like that. Otherwise, you can’t have a World
No.1 and up to 500.
After Wimbledon last year, you said hard court is your
choice. As a senior, has anything changed?
No. I still play the same game. I am now more mature and clear.
My choice is still the hard court.
Who is your coach? Do you have a different coach when
you play abroad?
Bob Brett coaches me off and on. I don’t have a regular
coach here. After my exams I went to Italy for 7 weeks. I
am planning to go again.
What are your main strengths in the game?
My main strength is my forehand. I am comfortable with ground
strokes and that’s one of my main weapons.
Where do you have to improve?
My serve. And, physical fitness. That’s important even
for a world no.1. It is not just the stamina, but overall
fitness.
You had said that Steffi Graf is your favourite. What
do you like best in Steffi?
Everything about her! She had a great forehand too. She was
graceful and very fast on court. She’s a great athlete.
Would you like to be like her? Follow her footsteps as
it were?
She is my favourite, yes. But I can’t say I’ll play
like her. She had her own game and I have mine.
After Wimbledon, you said you’d like to concentrate
on singles. Now, after many more doubles titles, is there any
change in priorities?
Singles has always been my priority. I’d like to perform
better there.
Sanaa, Hanna. Linda, Anna… you’ve had so many
partners but managed to come out on top- which shows you up
as a natural doubles player. Have you settled on any one partner
to make a winning combination like Paes-Bhupati?
Right now I don’t have a regular partner. It is just
that we adjust to each other’s game fast. Leander and
Mahesh are doubles specialists. If ever I become a doubles
specialist, maybe I’ll then have a fixed partner.
I feel you are a potential Grand Slam winner. Which of
them would you like to target first?
(Laughs) Anything is fine with me. If I am to win one of them,
I don’t mind which one it is. But I think it’s a
bit too early to aim for that. Let’s see what happens
a year from now.
During this first year among seniors, what differences
did you observe between men’s and women’s tennis?
You can’t really compare the two. The main difference
is that men are stronger. There’s no way I can say I
could play like a man- even if I’m World No.1. If a girl
can serve at 120, a man can serve at 190-200. It’s just
a human thing. As for treatment, those days of discrimination
are gone. In the last US Open, they paid the same prize money
for both events.
Olympics this year didn’t have any women’s team
from India. Do you foresee yourself playing there next time?
Participating in Olympics these days depends on world rankings.
This is my first year among seniors. At something like 320,
I didn’t have a chance. Maybe next time we can have a
team- or maybe at least I would represent the country in the
Olympics.
Out of all the countries where you’ve played, where
did you get maximum crowd support- apart from India, of course?
It’s not like my playing in Hyderabad with 5,000
people watching. Out there you play with 500 or 1000 spectators.
I think it is Italy, where I played a few months ago. Of course,
I was obviously not the favourite when I played an Italian
girl. But otherwise, I got very good support from the crowd
there.
In the entire history of tennis, who is your all-time great?
Steffi Graf! Among men, there are quite a few- Pete Sampras,
Andre Agassi. And I think Martina Navratilova is one of the
all-time greats.
Coming nearer home, where all in India is women’s
tennis played by large numbers now?
I think it’s played almost everywhere- Hyderabad, Chennai,
Bangalore, Mumbai- to name a few. Particularly in the last
two years, lots of people are taking tennis seriously.
What do you think about the level of sponsorship in India?
I think I was quite lucky in getting some good sponsorship
from the time I was quite young. It’s tough to find sponsors
and keep them happy. You have to perform well continuously.
But more and more sponsors are coming forward. You just have
to approach the right people, I guess.
Team India has a good record in the Davis Cup. Where are
we in the Federation Cup?
We just lost in the play-off at Delhi. That’s the farthest
India has ever reached in the Fed Cup. Hopefully we would
play the world group next year.
Who are the players you are banking on? Name some who
have the potential.
There are a whole lot of them. There is Isha, Sanaa, Ankita,
Megha. It is difficult to pinpoint. And then, there are quite
a few juniors whom I do not even know. Let’s see how
many of them are making it.
We Indians are told we don’t have the ‘killer
instinct’. What do you say about this?
If you see Leander and Mahesh play, you don’t find
any lack of killer instinct! They are more fired up than anyone
out there. As for myself, even my best friend is an enemy
on the court.
Now, when you play a particular opponent, do you watch
her game on video? Or, do you play your natural game?
Well, you have to play your natural game but you also
have to know the opponent’s weaknesses. I am now playing
mostly against players whose game I know. If I watch the player
a day before, I can make out how she is playing. I don’t
sit in front of the TV for that.
Any plans to be a goodwill Ambassador for any particular
cause?
I think I am too young for that right now. Of course, I would
like to do anything for any good cause. (Her father Irfan
informs that Sania
has been the Brand Ambassador for the girl child this year)
Can you recreate the first time you held a racquet?
I was 6 ½ when I went to the Nizam Club. I used
to go there for swimming and passed the court every day. Like
any other schoolgirl, I asked my mum if I could play. We went
to the coach Srikanth and asked if I could play. He said I
was too small to hold the racquet. Mum said ‘just put
her on’ and I started playing. A few weeks later, the
coach said this girl has real talent and she should take up
the game seriously. That’s how it all began.
You have great support from your family. But as a professional,
you have very little time for them. Tell me something about
this.
I had the greatest support from them. Win or lose, they’re
always with me. When I go out, either my father or mother
is always with me. But I do feel sorry for my little sister
who is just 10 years old. She’s the one who needs mum
more. So, my dad is going to be with me more often on tour
from now on.
Now, what gives you the greatest strength in life- on
and off court?
My faith in God and my prayers. I pray five times a day.
I read the Koran and it is God who gives me all the strength.
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