IT8217;S A GIRL

Many names were discussed, the word 8216;potential8217; was bandied around till all ears tired8230;Rohan Bopanna with the big serves, Prakash Amritraj with the undoubted pedigree, Harsh Mankad, Karan Rastogi8212;no lack of talent, but where were the results? That vital breakthrough 8211; where would it come from?

But perhaps, in the elusive search among men, the other side was dismissed much too rapidly. And ironically enough, the light at the end of the tunnel appears to be shining bright from a certain woman who looks set to be the face the world recognises as being a representative of Indian tennis. Sania Mirza. Ten letters, but in them lies the key to India8217;s prowess and recognition in the world of this racket sport.

Sania8217;s impact on the pro-circuit is old news, but her recent true blue adrenaline rush while playing for Team India has put that perennial query 8212; Who after Paes? 8212;in the tricky question category. Without the gender-bender hint, the question is puzzling but nonetheless there have enough hints lately. Sania cloaked herself in a tricolour at Hyderabad about a month back when she took India to the Hopman Cup main draw, beat the higher ranked Na Li at Doha Games and now at Perth she did a virtual Paes to take India into the semis of the mixed-event team championship.

The Paes comparison now was too obvious to avoid. Paes, who was on top of the mixed doubles podium at Doha next to Sania, says that he has spotted that 8220;special something trigger in her when the crowd chanted 8216;India, India8217;.8221; India8217;s Fed Cup coach Enrico Piperno happens to be the Witness No.2 at Sania8217;s multi-medal winning effort for India at the Games. 8220;When it comes to playing for the country, she has shown that she is willing to leave no stone unturned for success,8221; he says. To emphasise his point, Piperno has an anecdote ready. 8220;Last year during the Fed Cup, she couldn8217;t play because she had twisted her ankle, but she stayed with her teammates. She sat on the sidelines to cheer the team.8221;

The man, who was once Mahesh Bhupathi8217;s travelling coach, calls Sania the ambassador of Indian tennis 8212; a tag that rested with Lee-Hesh for more than a decade. 8220;At the Asian Games, she was the cynosure of all eyes there. Paes and Bhupathi were definitely in the background; everybody wanted a piece of her,8221; he says. These are seen as the signs of changing times. The gradual fading of male super stars has seen a decline in India8217;s David Cup fortune and on the other hand a Sania-aided Fed Cup and Hopman Cup spike.

But like most others in the tennis fraternity, Piperno is guarded. 8220;Maybe, it8217;s too early to compare her to Leander, but she8217;s definitely on the way to reaching that level. I believe the world hasn8217;t seen her best yet,8221; he says.

Ramanathan Krishnan, who had an enviable 69-28 Davis Cup record, too, is guarded in his reply. 8220;Sania is right now the best prospect in India. But then, it8217;s difficult to compare her with Leander because you can8217;t compare players of different eras and of different gender. The depth of tennis is different. My message to Sania is to keep her head down and keep playing good tennis,8221; he says. And Davis Cup coach Nandan Bal feels the 8216;Sania-effect8217; has helped the game grow. 8220;She has done lots for the country already, and still I feel her best is yet to come. Sania has been terrific for the image of the sport, and a lot of girls are picking up the racket because of her. She8217;s a champion. It8217;s unfair to compare her to Leander at this stage 8212; she isn8217;t as big an icon as him, but she will reach her peak over the next two years.8221;

All India Tennis Association AITA secretary-general Anil Khanna also joins the chorus in commending what the young Sania has done for the country. 8220;Sania possesses lots of talent. I think the Mirza family also deserves a lot of credit. They have managed her career very well, every step has been planned and well thought through. This has supplemented her brilliance on court. She has also shown the success of her country is very dear to her; her Doha campaign was fantastic,8221; says Khanna.

But triumph is a double-edged sword, and the other side harbours many monsters. There8217;s pressure, the fear of failure, and the danger of every victory bloating up the ego. But despite her age, Sania has shown she is not likely to be consumed by these demons. She has a support system around her, and her own level head will surely guard against such possibilities ever becoming the truth.

National coach T Chandrasekaran, who has coached Paes and travelled with Sania for two months in 2003 in Europe, seconds this view. 8220;She is already mature enough to handle the load. Despite not having been on tour for a very long time, she has gained experience. She has a long career ahead of her, and the further experience which comes with every match she plays will come in handy. Sania has the ability to beat anybody, she has an excellent mind and is a very studious girl. She has natural talent, and she hits the ball hard. All these aspects will carry her far.8221;

Former Davis Cupper Vijay Amritraj, who knows more than a thing or two about the success bubble 8212; prone to bursting into nothingness at any point of time 8212; concurs with the positive view. 8220;She has proven her ability to have as successful a career as Paes did. But what will be important in the long run will be to see if she can keep herself injury-free. She also has to be consistent over a period of time. Tennis is so physically demanding these days, it8217;s important for her to stay healthy to be able to keep working on her game.8221;

In a nation prone to felling down stars after placing them on a high pedastal, Sania has it all to do to maintain her run. Today, it seems like she can do no wrong, but tomorrow, it all may change. It seems like she can carry the flag after Leander, but she is still on the way. Can she do it? Que sera sera.

8212;With inputs from Anupama Bagri