Mumbai: A drop in a tennis player’s world ranking can really dent one’s spirits. But Sania Mirza remains unfazed even after she found herself down from No 54 to No 70.
Sania’s rose from a miserly 105 in the world to No 32 in the world in her first year in 2005, and said that repeating such a feat on the second year running was always going to be tough.
"It's not humanly possible to repeat it year after year. I am optimistic (about her future)," Sania said at a promotional event for next week's Sunfeast Open in Kolkata.
Sania’s performance has also been hampered by a spate of injuries in her short career in the WTA circuit and rubbished statements that her game was found out.
"That's not a major problem, but only a minor one. It happens to all the players. Even I try to figure out the other players' game when I watch them on TV," she said.
On the other hand she showed a lot of excitement when she was asked about the All India Tennis Association pitting her with Leander Paes in the mixed doubles category for a later event in Doha. She also said that she would be happy playing with either Leander or Mahesh Bhupathi.
"It's not my choice. It's the committee's decision. I would have been happy to play with Leander or Bhupathi or anyone else," she said.
Sania will play singles as well as the doubles events in the Qatar Games. Shikha Uberoi will partner her in the women's doubles while Paes in the mixed event.
Sania is evidently ecstatic about the ATP event coming up in Kolkata which also features former No 1 Martina Hingis, and says that Hingis’ star value will add to the sport’s popularity, and also make the fans understand what it takes to become a top-class player.
"It's through events like Sunfeast Open that people in India would come to know what goes into the making of a top player like Martina Hingis. "I am very excited to play in the tournament," she added.
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