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Mirza after marriage: Maybe 2 more years
(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-06-09 09:41
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India's tennis player Sania Mirza (R) and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik smile during their wedding ceremony at a hotel in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad April 12, 2010. [Agencies] |
BIRMINGHAM, England - 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 the twin distractions of a high-profile wedding and a persistent wrist injury, Mirza played with remarkable assertiveness to beat rising young Taiwanese Chan Yung-Jan 6-1, 6-4 in the first round of the Aegon Classic.
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"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."
However, Mirza admitted the best she can do is to live with her injury and contain it, which made the win over Chan in this Wimbledon warmup event - only her second in a mere seven matches all year - 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," Mirza emphasized.
She also scored a victory over the rain, which began spitting early in the second set and gradually increased to a level at which it threatened to send the players to the lockerroom before they had finished.
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Tennis player Sania Mirza (L) of India speaks with her husband Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik during her practice session in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad May 6, 2010. [Agencies] |
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 5-4 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 clash with Tamarine Tanasugarn, the Thai player who reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon two years ago.
Associated Press