For Sania, retaining her place in the top 50 is more important than breaking new ground.Sania Mirza wants stability now. No shooting up the world rankings for her this year. "People should not expect me to break into top 20 right now. Rankings don't work that way. It is not easy for me to hang in among the top 50 anyhow. I have always said that the second year will be tougher than the first.
In fact, that's my aim for this year - to stay in the top 50," explains the tennis wondergirl.
Not that Sania is not putting in enough efforts. She has even changed her coach to improve her game. "I did practice with former player Asif Ismail in Hong Kong at the start of the season. He was not coaching really, I just had a hit with him. And that's what I want now. My former coach John Farrington was an excellent coach but was not a hitter. At this point of time, I need a hitter," she explains.Another facet where Sania is a hit is her on-court fashion statement. "The tennis court has become a place where you are expected to make fashion statements. But I see nothing wrong with it... as long as it attracts enough attention towards the game," she says. And when not playing tennis, what is her style statement? "Casual and relaxed. I am very easy-going with my clothes. I am the kind to go to a wedding in jeans."kanpur.times@timesgroup.com