DUBAI
:
Sania Mirza’s comeback bid will shift to the Qatari capital of Doha next week as the Hyderabadi looks for more practice and match-play.
The 33-year-old, who returned to competition in January, following a maternity break, suffered a 3.5 cm muscle tear on her right calf en route to the title in Hobart in her first tournament. She subsequently retired from her opening-round match at the Australian Open.
She next played four weeks later in the
Dubai Duty Free tennis championships
, teaming up with Caroline Garcia, the Indo-French combine bowed out in the pre-quarterfinals.
Sania, who hit the practice courts immediately after her loss in Dubai, said: “Coming back from injury is tougher mentally than physically, because it’s not so much the pain itself as the fear of another pull, a strain, a tear, given that the memory of the setback is still fresh.”
The former No. 1 added: “It hurts on the step after the serve, when you want to put pressure, go full throttle or when I’m reacting, pushing to the right side. The tear doesn’t hurt, it’s the muscles around it that haven’t been used or strengthened enough that is a concern.”
The Indian wasn’t able to practice the way she wanted to in the lead up to the tournament.
“I need a bit more practice. It has been like five-six weeks and I have hit for only six-seven days in that time,” she said. “I’ve been able to do more physical stuff, but still you need to hit more balls, to get the feel. It’s normal to feel like that after an injury. I would’ve liked to have got a full week of practice before Dubai.
"Sometimes, you have to hope that your body is feeling better and test it as you go along. The best part though is that I don’t feel anything with the actual tear.”