Sania Mirza - General Discussion of tennis matters

[Red_Indian]

"I don't know how she hits that forehand with such angles," Hingis said of Mirza's third-set performance... "Maybe it's because Indians have such flexible wrists. Maybe she does belly dancing."

Nice little article
http://www.tennisreporters.net/hingis_080807.html

[jayakris]

Oh I guess when Varma reported that first here, it was not taken seriously I guess .. Big shot Mathew Cronin had to write it for you to notice, eh? 

kidding...

Jay

[puneets]

She's a Hyderabadi after all........like Mohd. Azharuddin and VVS Laxman..all known for deft wrist work.

[prasen9]

I was wondering the same.  What do they make these Hyderabadis practice?  Rolling the wrists around from age 3?

-pm

[Michael Joseph]

I have read from some reports that she has a nagging wrist injury that she has sustained during the hectic hardcourt season. I hope it is a minor thing that can be taken care of and she can be injury-free. Does she really have a wrist problem now or are these just rumours. Hope these are plain rumours. I heard of this at the Headlines Today news channel last night. Can anyone shed more light on this.

[jayakris]

Will try to find out about the wrist.  I too saw that in a news report.

Jay

[punarayan]

i saw her on Thursday at the Open and she did not seem to have any injury to the wrist. It was the usual bombs-away on the forehand ad some deft backhand Euclid variety often enough.  She has grown dramatically since I saw her as a junior at the Open a few years ago.  Same forehand, but more variety.  She knows the court much more now.  The serve is no longer a weakness and in fact she was quite confident and even threw in some aces.  She now gets her feet together before throwing the racquet at the ball.  Really nice improvement from the still pictures posted here from Wimbledon. Ofcourse the occasional wild forehand smash when she is stretched a bit.  I think that is the way she fells her game - going for the forehand.  I now understand why she wins at doubles - the opponents face the forehand while they are at the net and they can't handle it.  So staying back and whaling away helps in her version of doubles!  Some nice touch and angles too. Her match tomorrow is a match that is almost a life-long wait for me.  Indian playing singles at the Open!  Tomorrow's ticket will be hard, but I have not returned home without getting in for 34 years.  I hope tomorrow is no different.

[PKBasu]

Thanks for the eye-witness expert report, punarayan. Wow, 34 years on the trot at the US Open -- must be some sort of record that you haven't missed an Open since computer rankings began!
I'm sure you'll get in tomorrow. Ramesh Krishnan vs 6th seed Johan Kriek in R3 1987 was probably the last show-court singles match won by an Indian at the Open. Tomorrow, Sania will hopefully do a Ramesh!

[Atithee]

Thanks for the eye-witness expert report, punarayan. Wow, 34 years on the trot at the US Open -- must be some sort of record that you haven't missed an Open since computer rankings began!
I'm sure you'll get in tomorrow. Ramesh Krishnan vs 6th seed Johan Kriek in R3 1987 was probably the last show-court singles match won by an Indian at the Open. Tomorrow, Sania will hopefully do a Ramesh!

With her being reported to be the 2nd highest acer (supposedly her main and most glaring weakness), strong fitness, good all around game, and high confidence going into the third round, it is time to prove that she has indeed taken a step forward in her march toward greatness at world level.  She has to be able to beat Anna tomorrow.  Otherwise, the question about her making the leap will still abound.  The proven improvement this year has been her ability to beat the players she should always have beaten but she still has to take that next step that has been eluding her since she burst on the tennis scene a couple years ago.

[S_K_S]

What has changed about the serve in a few weeks? Not so long ago Jay went to see her and came away asking for a complete overhaul of the serve. Is it just that she is getting more first serves in and going for more on her 1st serve so as to not let the weaker 2nd serve come into play? Will it hold up against sterner examination later on in the tournament?

[Sudipta Mallik]

I watched Sania in her mixed doubles match with Hesh, they just destroyed Nestor-Likhovsteva. Sania's ground stokes are very solid....good volleys, very effectve drop shot in her arsenal. Her serve clearly needs work....especially the second serve, which lacks pace  and power. She moves pretty well on the court.

Bhupathi is a GREAT doubles player.....I know I'm stating the obvious but seeing him up close really makes it so clear. Some of the volleys he hits are just superb. Great angles.

[prasen9]

Isn't it amazing that the U.S. with all its apparatus does not have anyone else in the top-40 except/since the Williams sisters and we have Sania to cheer for?  This, perhaps, shows that to get elite athletes you do have to depend a bit on the freaks of nature and it is not all in the planning and execution.

-pm

[arjun2761]

Its not the US alone-- Australia and W. Europe are also lagging behind compared to E. Europe, for example.  The Williams' grew up "hungry" so hunger has something to do with it as well.

[prasen9]

Sania's wrist is still not healed.  She may miss Kolkata:

Link

(Switch on popup blocker before opening as per comment below from Atithee - Samarth)

I hope she rests it till it is really healthy.

[Atithee]

Sania's wrist is still not healed.  She may miss Kolkata:

I hope she rests it till it is really healthy.

Thanks.  I read an interview transcript with her after a long time.  Good to know that there are no inflammatory quotes in it.  Pretty realistic.  Surprised to find mention of the India-England cricket there but she is a big fan.

P.S. This site opened six pop-ups.  For some reason, the Indian sites (Indiatimes being among the worst) open more popups than any other sites I often visit (BBC is my favorite in terms of simplicity, completeness, and aesthetically).  I know I could turn off the pop-up blocker, but these sites are something else.  Very annoying.