Mirza welcomes boom

Asian poster girl Sania Mirza says the women's game is in its best state ever in the region, with Chinese stars like Li Na leading the charge and a new generation waiting in the wings.

"I think we're probably at the healthiest best in Asian women's tennis," the Indian said.

"Tennis is growing in Asia," she said.

Asia's former No 1 was speaking after a three-set loss with her American doubles partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands to the Russian-Romanian pair of Nina Bratchikova and Edina Gallovits-Hall in the first round at Roland Garros. The shock defeat came after Mirza and Mattek-Sands won the doubles trophy at last week's Brussels Open.

Sania, who was at a career-best world No 10 in the doubles ranking before Tuesday but has slipped to No 185 in singles from a peak of 27 in 2007, is now unsure of being able to play at the London Olympics.

She's only 25, but injuries have hobbled her career, which reached a climax when she won the mixed doubles with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi at the Australian Open in 2009.

With more than $2.2 million in career prize money and a celebrated wedding in 2010 to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, Mirza has to decide soon on her tennis priorities in order to preserve her health.

"That's a call I'll take, either playing just singles or just doubles."

Mirza said that after three surgeries - on her wrist and both knees - her body doesn't feel 25 at all.

"It feels much older," she said. "Doubles obviously is a lot less (taxing) physically on your body, it takes less. But having said that, I sometimes do feel that I have it in me to be back again in singles."

"It's not the tennis. I've never doubted about the tennis. It's more about the body."

AFP

(China Daily 05/31/2012 page22)