Hyderabad: Sania Mirza could not play the Fed Cup due to an injury which she picked up during her run to the finals of the mixed doubles of the Australian open. Now, although, her injury is expected to heal in time, Sania has decided not to play at the Bangalore Open in March.
It is the first time Sania won't be seen at a WTA tournament in India and it seems recent controversies have forced her to take this extreme step.
"I am a normal 21-year-old, who is just trying to play tennis," said Sania.
And she plays it better than anybody else in Asia. Sania is the world's 29th ranked tennis player now. China's Na Li is three places behind, making the Indian superstar Asia's top ranked female tennis player but why isn't she playing at the Bangalore Open, in front of her adoring home fans?
"I have been advised by my managers not to play because I think a lot has been happening in the last few months and every time that I had played in India, there had been some kind of a problem. So, we just thought that it was better not to play this time," said Sania.
Sania has started the year well, reaching the third round of the Australian Open singles. Third round in the women's doubles and the final of the mixed doubles along with Mahesh Bhupathi. A leg injury hampered her campaign at the Federation Cup but she hopes that she can put it all behind soon and return to action.
"It is a gradual process, obviously, to get as fit as you want to be but I am slowly but surely getting there," assured the Hyderabadi.
In her third round slugfest against Venus Williams at the Australian Open, Sania showed that she can match it against the best in the world on her day and this year for motivation to scale even greater heights she has the Beijing Olympics to look forward to.
"You know it is going to be very tough. I think even tougher than the Grand Slams because it is a smaller draw - no byes, no nothing. And all the top players from every country are going to play. And I am very excited about it."
Sania is expected to be out for the next three weeks before returning to the courts.
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