You've come a long way, girl

You don''t need to wait for the real Jassi to emerge out of her soda glasses, oiled hair and plain salwar suits anymore: just switch on the television and catch Sania Mirza, first off a tennis court and then on it, and you will get the picture.
Sania might kill me for this comparison but one is only speaking metaphorically (there’s a Jassi in virtually every Indian girl): she hides the radiance in her eyes behind thick, black, almost unfashionable glasses; she wears simple casuals and ties her hair down like a demure little girl.
But utter the magic word tennis and she quickly transforms into a glamourous young woman: the glasses vanish, the hair is set loose and the smile races across thousands of miles. Hopefully, every young girl will now start invoking the real Jassi inside her, just like Sania’s done.
Sania looks like a baby, behaves like a lady and plays like a champion. More importantly, she looked like a champ even before hitting the first ball on worldwide television: a smart and neatly cut outfit designed by Adidas; endorsements on her cap, her shoulder, her arm and her short skirt. From top to toe, she appeared to be a player of the new world: confident and proud.
The glittering gold ring on the nose simply added a personal touch: in a strange way, it was both modern and quaint at the same time. It also made her look cuter.
Yes, in one elegant swoop, far away in the warmer climes of Melbourne, Sania has conquered the heart of the country and made the tennis world sit up. But can she trigger off a revolution among the girls? Can she inspire thousands of Sanias to take to sport and aim for the world? In one word, yes.
There''s that other important question too: How far can she really go in the world of women''s tennis?
Well, Sania is just 18 and everything seems to be going her way: she comes from a conservative family but has the support and blessings of broad-minded parents. She has a good coach, a good agent and, more significantly, a rasping forehand.
She has already tasted victory and stardom as a junior player. All those who have seen her play claim that she has a lot more to offer; all those who know her also underscore that she has the mind and ambition of a champion. She may have started off badly against Serena but she didn''t wilt under the pressure; instead, she rose above it and almost mastered the occasion.
The experts have already pointed out that she needs to work on her service: yes, there were quite a few faults and maybe there wasn''t enough power behind it. Could it be it because of her inordinately high toss? Maybe. Science says that gravitational force adds speed and extra weight to anything that is coming down during a free fall.
So it logically means that she is expending much more energy and power than is required. It''s also probably why some of her serves were not just long, but embarrassingly long; maybe that''s why they lacked direction too at times. The experts will surely have the right explanation and a good solution too.
But yes, Sania still has some distance to go before she can become a Top 50, indeed top 20 player. She is fast but needs to get faster; she is strong but needs to get stronger; she is agile but needs to get more agile; she packs power behind her strokes but needs to add some more of it. In other words, she''s good but she needs to get better. Easier said than done, of course.