Tennis majors are grand affairs.And there, only the elite bunch of top-ranked, seeded players are given the advantage of playing lower-ranked opponents early on, favouring their progression. Sure, there are giant killers galore, but they are usually exceptions, rather than the rule. India has not made it to the higher echelons of singles for a considerable amount of time, and it is only Sania Mirza who has shown a bit of hope of late. She was on her way to a seeding at the year’s last Grand Slam on the basis of her recent performances, and in the seeds list released today, she is number 26, making her the first Indian woman to be seeded at a Grand Slam.Indian legend Ramanathan Krishnan certainly knows the feeling. He was seeded fifth at the US Open in 1959, and fourth at Wimbledon in 1962. “I am very happy for her and I wish her all the best,” said Krishnan, speaking to The Indian Express from Chennai.“A seeding is an honour, but it is also a responsibility; you have to live up to it. There are some very good players who are not seeded, and they can be tricky. Of course, she has done extremely well and it is all the result of hard work,” he adds. The former Davis Cupper admits the game is tougher now. “In my time, there were perhaps 200 people playing, now it’s more than 2000. A lot of new aspects have come in including professionalism and prize money, and the depth in the sport is much more. So the competition is much more now.”It would be premature to predict how far the 20-year-old progresses, as very often it is uncertainties that dictate the course of a Grand Slam run. “It all depends on the kind of draw she gets. Her ranking has been improving steadily, so it really doesn’t come as a surprise that she is seeded,” adds Krishnan.Akhtar Ali, though, says Sania has always performed well under pressure. “She is always under the scrutiny of millions, and she plays well nevertheless. She will be prepared for the expectations that will come with this. When players come up against seeded opponents, they play freely since they have nothing to lose; so the pressure will be on the player who is expected to win. But a seeding will help her avoid the big names early on,” says Ali.Women’s seedings:1. Justine Henin, Belgium; 2. Maria Sharapova, Russia; 3. Jelena Jankovic, Serbia; 4. Svetlana Kuznetsova, Russia; 5. Ana Ivanovic, Serbia; 6. Anna Chakvetadze, Russia; 7. Nadia Petrova, Russia; 8. Serena Williams, United States; 9. Daniela Hantuchova, Slovak Republic; 10. Marion Bartoli, France; 11. Patty Schnyder, Switzerland; 12. Venus Williams, United States; 13. Nicole Vaidisova, Czech Republic; 14. Elena Dementieva, Russia; 15. Dinara Safina, Russia; 16. Martina Hingis, Switzerland; 17. Tatiana Golovin, France; 18. Shahar Peer, Israel; 19. Sybille Bammer, Austria; 20. Lucie Safarova, Czech Republic; 21. Alona Bondarenko, Ukraine; 22. Katarina Srebotnik, Slovenia; 23. Tathiana Garbin, Italy; 24. Francesca Schiavone, Italy; 25. Mara Santangelo, Italy; 26. Sania Mirza, India; 27. Vera Zvonareva, Russia; 28. Ai Sugiyama, Japan; 29. Samantha Stosur, Australia; 30. Agnieska Radwanska, Poland; 31. Anabel Medina Garrigues, Spain; 32. Michaella Krajicek, Netherlands
