Updates from the world of tennis
Sania Mirza positive about next month’s Australian Open
The 24-year-old Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza, who recently triumphed in the International Tennis Federation competition in Dubai to finish the season on a high, said that she is quite confident to put up a good show at the
year’s opening Grand Slam, the Australian Open in Melbourne.
The Hyderabad resident, who made her debut on the WTA tour back in 2003, got the better of Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia in three sets in the $75,000 Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge final on Sunday. The score line was 4-6, 6-3, 6-0.
Currently ranked number 164 in the South African Airways WTA list, the right handed Mirza after winning the title said, "It is really satisfying. It is like a dream come true considering the way I started the season with an injury.
In the last six months I have been playing consistent tennis. And going into a Grand Slam with a title and beating a top 40 player gives you a lot of confidence.”
Mirza denied that it was a conscious effort on her part to take part in the ITF competition in between WTA competitions.
"Now ITF are not considered lower tournaments. Some of the events have higher ranked players than WTA tournaments. Recently I played a WTA tournament in which the top seed was ranked 75. But in Dubai the top seed was ranked 40.
It was a good competition. And since I had missed 6-7 tournaments because of Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, so I needed to play," she added.
Rohan Bopanna and Yuki Bhambri given wild card for Chennai Open
Rohan Bopanna and Yuki Bhambri received wild cards into the main draw of the Aircel Chennai Open 2011, beginning from January 3rd in India. Besides, these two players, Somdev Devvarman also got a direct entry into the
competition on the basis of his current ATP world rankings.
Yuki was the winner of the prestigious Orange Bowl Junior Tennis tournament. He is also the first tennis player from India to pick up the junior Australian Open title back in 2009.
In 2010, the right hander posted his first singles victory in an ATP competition, when he made his way into the round of sixteen at the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur. Thereafter, the professional tennis ace from India made his
country proud by grabbing the silver medal at the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games earlier this year during the month of August.
Bopanna, on the other hand, also had a superb year on the tour in 2010. He achieved his career high ATP doubles ranking of world number thirteen back in November. Teaming up with Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan, the right hander
also made his way into the quarters at Wimbledon and the title battle at the United States Open in New York.
Rohan also picked up his second ATP World Tour doubles crown with Aisam at Johannesburg during the start of this year. Moreover, the pair together also won 2010 Grand Prix of Peace & Sports and the Peace and Sport Image of the
Year Award.
Bopanna would definitely be looking forward to give his hundred percent and start the season on a high by playing well at the Chennai Open.
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