Mirza hopes to play on for 2 more years
Source: Agencies |
June 9, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
INDIAN tennis star Sania Mirza suggests she may have only two more years on tour after winning her first match on Monday since marrying Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik.
Despite twin distractions of a high-profile wedding and a persistent wrist injury, Mirza played with remarkable assertiveness to beat rising young Chinese Taipei player Chan Yung-Jan 6-1, 6-4 in the first round of the Aegon Classic in Birmingham.
Mirza spoke positively about being separated so soon from Shoaib, and for a lengthy period of time.
"The distance between us is difficult. But we will be together for life hopefully, so two years isn't long," she said.
"Marriage is something which happens to everyone at some point. It's just if you want to wait to finish your career or to get married now.
"For me, marriage is personal and tennis is professional.
"It's two separate things so it doesn't feel like a distraction."
Mirza said the best she can do with her injury was to contain it, which made the win over Chan - only her second in a mere seven matches all year - in this Wimbledon warmup event all the sweeter.
"I was just happy to be competing and happy to be out there and feeling healthy," said the player who became the first Indian woman either to win a WTA Tour title or to capture a grand slam title (with Mahesh Bhupathi in the Australian Open mixed doubles).
"When you come back after a long time and have a win it's good for your confidence."
Up until 6-1, 3-0, Mirza hardly struck a shot wrong, connecting with the ball as cleanly as though she had never been away from the tour.
On the softish grass this enabled her to strike winner after winner, but when she tried to hurry things along her progress slowed.
It brought two double faults to cause her to drop her service game, after which Chan, ranked 83 in the world, began playing more like a player with top 50 ambitions and rallied to 4-5 down.
But when it came to closing out the match Mirza made no mistake, delivering two solid first serves from 30-all and both times following up with weighty forehand drive winners.
It earned her a second-round match with Tamarine Tanasugarn, the Thai player who reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon two years ago.
Another well-known name making a comeback, Mirjana Lucic, the former Wimbledon semifinalist from Croatia, also had a good win.
Lucic, who spent many years away from professional tennis after problems with her father and with money, scored her second main tour victory of the year by beating Mariana Duque Marino of Colombia 6-1, 6-2.
Lucic, who looked a potential grand slam winner of the future in her teens, showed she still has some of the power which once made her so promising.
Despite twin distractions of a high-profile wedding and a persistent wrist injury, Mirza played with remarkable assertiveness to beat rising young Chinese Taipei player Chan Yung-Jan 6-1, 6-4 in the first round of the Aegon Classic in Birmingham.
Mirza spoke positively about being separated so soon from Shoaib, and for a lengthy period of time.
"The distance between us is difficult. But we will be together for life hopefully, so two years isn't long," she said.
"Marriage is something which happens to everyone at some point. It's just if you want to wait to finish your career or to get married now.
"For me, marriage is personal and tennis is professional.
"It's two separate things so it doesn't feel like a distraction."
Mirza said the best she can do with her injury was to contain it, which made the win over Chan - only her second in a mere seven matches all year - in this Wimbledon warmup event all the sweeter.
"I was just happy to be competing and happy to be out there and feeling healthy," said the player who became the first Indian woman either to win a WTA Tour title or to capture a grand slam title (with Mahesh Bhupathi in the Australian Open mixed doubles).
"When you come back after a long time and have a win it's good for your confidence."
Up until 6-1, 3-0, Mirza hardly struck a shot wrong, connecting with the ball as cleanly as though she had never been away from the tour.
On the softish grass this enabled her to strike winner after winner, but when she tried to hurry things along her progress slowed.
It brought two double faults to cause her to drop her service game, after which Chan, ranked 83 in the world, began playing more like a player with top 50 ambitions and rallied to 4-5 down.
But when it came to closing out the match Mirza made no mistake, delivering two solid first serves from 30-all and both times following up with weighty forehand drive winners.
It earned her a second-round match with Tamarine Tanasugarn, the Thai player who reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon two years ago.
Another well-known name making a comeback, Mirjana Lucic, the former Wimbledon semifinalist from Croatia, also had a good win.
Lucic, who spent many years away from professional tennis after problems with her father and with money, scored her second main tour victory of the year by beating Mariana Duque Marino of Colombia 6-1, 6-2.
Lucic, who looked a potential grand slam winner of the future in her teens, showed she still has some of the power which once made her so promising.
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