Lovestruck, injury-hit, married Mirza hints at only two years more of tennis
Lovestruck, injury-hit, married Mirza hints at only two years more of tennisIndian tennis ace Sania Mirza said yesterday that she may have only a couple of years more on the tour after she won her first match post-marriage to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik.
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| it takes two: India tennis ace Sania Mirza with husband Shoaib Malik during a training session in Hyderabad last month. pic/afp |
Mirza displayed looked to have completely overcomeu00a0 her wrist injury as she beat rising young Taiwanese Chan Yung-Jan 6-1, 6-4, in the first round of the Aegon Classic.
Mirza had taken several months off from tennis to focus on her personal life before marrying Malik in April. The tense nature of relations between neighbours India and Pakistan meant political groups in India protested against the 23-year-old's decision to marry Malik.
But, with the controversy dying down, Mirza returned to tennis and quickly rediscovered her rhythm on the grass-courts here.
The first lady of Indian tennis however spoke like a lovestruck teenager claiming it was tough being away from her husband for a long period of time.
"The distance between us is difficult. But we will be together for life hopefully, so two years isn't long," said Mirza, the first Indian woman to win a WTA Tour title and also a Grand Slam title.
Mirza continued: "Marriage is something which happens to everyone at some point. It's just if you want to wait to finish your career or to get married now. For me, marriage is personal and tennis is professional. It's two separate things so it doesn't feel like a distraction."
Mirza next plays Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn, who reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon two years ago.
