Indian American sisters Shikha and Neha Uberoi have a simple objective in mind -- win all the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments next year.
"When I beat her in the Wimbledon women's final, I will walk up to the net, shake her hand and hug her. Till then she is not my sister," says 21-year-old Shikha, triumphant from her wild card entry into the US Open in September where she played against Venus Williams in the second round.
"When I stand there in front of her in centre court at Wimbledon, my only concern would be to defeat my rival. Once that happens we are sisters again," says 18-year-old Neha, also a wildcard entrant to the championship.
Apart from the grandness of their ambitions, the idea that one of them would have to be a loser in the event of their facing each other does not trouble either.
"We have developed the mental strength to put aside sibling emotions and just go for it," Shikha told the local News India-Times paper in an interview.
Their father Mahesh Uberoi takes a slightly different view.
"When my two daughters are playing against each other, I never clap. I always give a blank look lest I end up favouring one over the other, which I don't. I am not looking to see who is winning but to enjoy the quality of tennis."
The Uberoi sisters, who have been playing tennis since their childhood, came into the limelight when they received a wildcard entry at the US Open championships this year. Ranked 275th in the World Tennis Association (WTA), Shikha took on Venus Williams in the second round after defeating Saori Obata of Japan 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 on Aug 31.
{{/usCountry}}The Uberoi sisters, who have been playing tennis since their childhood, came into the limelight when they received a wildcard entry at the US Open championships this year. Ranked 275th in the World Tennis Association (WTA), Shikha took on Venus Williams in the second round after defeating Saori Obata of Japan 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 on Aug 31.
{{/usCountry}}"I was not fazed at all. I did not care who I was playing against. I saw it as my opportunity to win the US Open. It is possible that anyone can be beaten on any given day," says Shikha of her match against Williams.
Mahesh says: "I think she held her own. She looked more confident than Williams." Shikha eventually lost 5-7, 1-6 to a player she has felt inspired by.
Neha, ranked 335th in the WTA rankings, did not go beyond the qualifying round at the US Open. However, she says her immediate target is the Australian Open. "I would like to win all the four Grand Slams next year," Neha says.
The two sisters, who are being inevitably compared with the Williams sisters in terms of their sibling rivalry, became pro in 2003 and have been training hard under coach Rick Macci of Pompano Beach, Florida.
"Tennis is as much about physical fitness as it is about mental fitness. Unless they are tough athletes who can endure long hours of work, it would be difficult to perform at the levels they do," Mahesh says.
The sisters train six to seven hours every day.
Shikha, 5 feet 8 inches tall, and Neha, 5 feet seven inches tall, say: "We believe it is essential to be as tough in our mind as outside. Without those you cannot perform."
Pursuing tennis professionally has meant having to take a leave of absence from Princeton University where Shikha was a freshman in 2000-01 and Neha in 2002-03.
"I would like to complete my education eventually. I don't mind being a freshman when I am 35 years old. There is no shame in studying at any age.
For now though it is tennis for both of us," Shikha says.
On the question of expectations from their family and others, Shikha says:
"We are used to such pressures. We don't let them affect us."
Asked if the parents of high performing children tend to live out their own ambitions through them, father Uberoi says: "A lot of us live out our ambitions through our children. There is nothing wrong in that as long as you do not force your children and they have the aptitude, talent and desire."
In the fall of 2000, Shikha and Neha played against each other at the $10,000 US Tennis Association event in Fort Worth, Texas. Shikha won the title.
"I was upset for a whole week, but then accepted it," Neha says. They went on to play doubles in the same tournament and reached its final. Having taken part in a series of tennis matches in the US and elsewhere, the Uberoi sisters believe the time is ripe for them to go for a bigger killing.
"Sometimes they are so driven I have to pull them back. They are completely consumed with their passion for tennis," Mahesh says.
Their wildcard entry into the US Open and the high profile that followed have opened doors to commercial endorsements for them as well.
"We are negotiating with some companies. But it is not about money. It is about playing good tennis," the father says.
Sports company SFX, which represents the likes of Andre Agassi and Michael Johnson, have signed the sisters up to represent them internationally, while Globo Sport, a company owned by tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi, has signed them up for representation in India. They have been invited to play a celebrity tournament in Mumbai on Dec 9, 10 and 11.