A lesson here for the coaches too

MUMBAI: The fear was that accessories would be the only department in which nose-ringed Sania Mirza would be on par with fashion-obsessed Serena Williams in their Australian Open tennis third round. But as India saw with a warm heart on Friday, she did better. Once she had swung the nervousness away, the 18-year-old Sania matched the formidable Serena in power, groundstrokes and aggression.
What does the contest mean for Sania and Indian tennis?
The player will carry from it satisfaction and confidence. She was successful in putting up an uninhibited display against an intimidating opponent. A show court match against a superstar in a Grand Slam reduces some to phirni. But Sania hung with the feared Serena, unshackling herself in the second set to produce full-bodied, red-blooded tennis.
The right-hander from Hyderabad will also realise that she needs to improve her serve and make more trips to the net (Sania approached the net as rarely as sharks to a poacher''s trap). She loves the big stage, those who know her say. But she will need improvement before she becomes a regular in the limelight fixtures.
There is a lesson for Indian women''s tennis -- it pays to attack. Most female players in India are defensive. It is the same with coaches. Sania''s so far remarkable career could force a policy change in them. After all, it was powerful groundstrokes and willingness to take risks that helped her shake up Serena.
Of the thousands at Vodafone Arena on Friday must be coaches and agents and entrepreneurs and tournament directors. Potential is something they can sniff from a mile away. Sania''s performance must have registered on them. Sport always wants new, young faces. Thanks to the hot joust against Serena, more opportunity and incentive could come to Sania and other Indian players. Besides, Sania is only 18. Which means we are almost certain of a regular on the international circuit for many years. The retirement of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, not far away, need not cause as much anxiety.
They say Indians take time to mature. After Sania''s positive performance in the Australian Open, it is possible they were talking about the country''s fixed deposit schemes and not its sportsmen.