Sania unfazed by slide in rankings

She does not feel threatened by fact that her game has been "figured out".

India's top woman tennis player Sania Mirza did not sound too concerned about the sudden steep decline in her world rankings and felt optimistic about her future in the game at the international level.

HT Image

Stating she had a phenomenal first year on the WTA circuit, when her rankings rose up to as high as 33 in 2005, the Hyderabad-based Sania on said on Saturday this feat was not possible to be repeated year after year.

"It's not humanly possibly to repeat it year after year. I am optimistic (about her future)", the 70th-ranked Sania said at a promotional event for next week's Sunfeast Open in Kolkata, organised by the WTA tournament's promoters Globosport, at a suburban mall here.

Sania, whose short career has been beset by a spate of injuries, also did not feel threatened by the fact that her game has been "figured out", and brushed it aside as a minor problem to be overcome.

"That's not a major problem, but only a minor one. It happens to all the players. Even I try to figure out the other players' game when I watch them on TV", she said.

Asked about the All India Tennis Association's decision to pit her with seasoned Davis Cup campaigner Leander Paes for the mixed doubles event in the December Asian Games in Doha, Sania said it was the selection committee's decision and she would be happy to play with Paes or Mahesh Bhupathi or anyone else.

"It's not my choice. It's the committee's decision. I would have been happy to play with Leander or Bhupathi or anyone else," she said.