CELEBRITY HUB

Jul 10, 2008

Sania Mirza tryst with Wimbledon, films and fitness


‘I really enjoyed meeting Big B’

Playing on the most competitive turf after being operated upon for a wrist injury requires a lot of guts and gumption. And the poster girl of Indian tennis, Sania Mirza, has it in plenty. Although her performance at Wimbledon (singles) may not have grabbed headlines, for India's highest ranked woman tennis star, it was the decision to play that was more challenging. Taking all the hits and misses in her stride.

On Wimbledon
Despite her good performance at Wimbledon in the doubles, she couldn't really hold on to the winning streak in the singles. Analysing her performance, she says, "I'm still sometime away from playing my best game because I had my wrist operated upon only 10 weeks back. Under the circumstances, personally, it was important for me to still give my best at Wimbledon." She was seeded 32nd in Wimbledon, so ask her if she has any strategy to break into the top 30 and Sania says, "There's been just one main strategy ever since I picked up a tennis racket and that is to work hard. That will continue." Helping her in this endeavour is her new coach Sven Groeneveld (who also coached the current number one Ana Ivanovic). "He is a very senior coach and I have a lot of respect for him," she says. Ask her what she's enjoying in London and Sania says, "During grand slams, all my energy is focused on the game and I have had very little time to do else."



Injury woes
It's a hectic circuit for tennis players these days and injuries are a part and parcel of a sportsperson's life. Talking about it, she says, "In today's professional tennis, there is no way one can compete without pushing one's body to the limits and this causes injuries to each and every player in the top 100 bracket. Some of the world's most athletic and talented players, including Kim Clijsters, have had to retire at 23 because of injuries. We professional athletes have to live with injuries and there are never any guarantees of our physical well-being."
India calling

Ask her if the news that the Indian government may soon release a postage stamp with her photograph overwhelms her and she says, "I have read about this in the newspapers. I just play tennis to bring glory to my country. It has not been my endeavour to see my picture on a postage stamp."

Tennis and tinsletown
When the living legend of Bollywood Amitabh Bachchan comes calling on the glam girl of Indian tennis, there's bound to be a buzz. Talking about the meeting, which happened while the Big B was shooting for a film in a Mumbai studio and Sania was in the vicinity, she says, "It was a privilege to meet Mr Bachchan and I thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful experience. I had interacted with him on the sets of Kaun Banega Crorepati." Ask her if talks of a biographical movie is being made on her life and Sania replies, "Right now, I have more important things on my mind"

source:timesofindia

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