Mirza thought about quitting sport in face of harsh criticism

DUBAI: Sania Mirza, India's first female sports celebrity, admitted that she reached a point recently when she wondered whether it was any longer worth going through what she endured.

Mirza, a Muslim, has been criticized by Islamist groups for wearing short skirts while competing, found it necessary to apologize for filming an advertisement near a historic mosque, and is also apparently being taken to court for alleged disrespect after photographs showed her bare feet resting near the Indian flag.

"There are times when you are low and lonely, and that's when your family come into play," she said, agreeing with a questioner who asked if there was a price to pay for her celebrity.

Also asked if she had considered quitting after the flag controversy, she said: "That was one of my passing thoughts.

"I thought was it worth it to go through all this. But here in Dubai I am winning and that's more important than what happened two-and-a-half months ago," she said, referring to victory in her opening match, by 7-6 (5), 6-2 against Vera Dushevina, a Russian qualifier.

Mirza was asked to compare her situation with how the Indian cricketers cope, some of whom she knows.

"We all have our set of pressures and expectations to deal with," she answered.

"But it's at a very different level.

"At the end of the day there are eleven of them in the Indian cricket team. Eleven take the loss and eleven take the victory.

"I don't know how many people have gone through the controversies I have, even in the cricket team.

"We are from a country where we have not had a woman play tennis at this level and become as big a celebrity as I have been.

"I am still dealing with things at a very different level. I put my foot up because I am cramping and a lawsuit follows - I don't think it happens in many countries.

"Maybe it will take 10 years to get used to it."

Two well-known names went out.

Marion Bartoli, the seventh seed from France, fell at the first hurdle for the second week in a row, and Nadia Petrova, the former world No 3 both continued their disappointing runs of form.

Bartoli, who has suffered from illness and injury and has still only won three matches this year, looked as though she was going to turn things around when she pinched the second set from Francesca Schiavione, the Italian No 1.

But after dropping serve in the fourth game of the final set, Bartoli's resistance ended rather suddenly and she fell away to a 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-1 defeat.

Petrova, who lost in the first round for the fifth time in six tournaments this year, seemed devoid of all confidence as she gained only three games from Katarina Srebotnik, a qualifer from Slovenia.

Afterwards Petrova, who was touted as a front-runner for the French Open title only a couple of years ago, said that she might take a break from the game to recharge her batteries.

But another French player who has been struggling, Amelie Mauresmo, down at world No 29, scored only her tenth victory since losing her Wimbledon title nearly eight months ago.

The former world No 1 won 7-6 (11), 6-2 over Anabel Medina Garrigues, avenging a loss over the Spaniard in their previous meeting, and earning a meeting with Japan's Akiko Morigamo.

Asked about last week's comment about the feeling in her head that she might want to quit the game, Mauresmo said wins like the one she had on Tuesday could cure that feeling.

"If I can get some wins I can get rid of it.

"The feeling of winning is something special and if I can get the rhythm of it, that will make a difference.

"Sometimes I feel I am not far from it and sometimes I feel I am very far.

"Sometimes I feel I can come back to my best level, or at least to a better level, but it depends on how the matches are going."

AFP

(China Daily 02/28/2008 page22)