Sania Mirza, the lone Indian contender in the first grand slam of the year, ends her campaign unsuccessfully.

The 81 minutes second round match against qualifierMichaella Krajicek, sister of former Wimbledon Champion (1996) Richard Krajicek.

In the first set, Sania Mirza was not able to produce any of her best - poor serve and ground strokes cost her the set 3-6.

Visibly Sania Mirza had struggled to find rhythm on her serve and ground strokes, which may be attributed to technical changes to her game against Krajicek.

However Sania fought back in the second set, but in vein as the Dutch teenage tennis player wraped the game 7-5.

Sania Mirzas' game was hinderedby 35 unforced errors, compared to only 26 fromMichaella Krajicek.

"I think the match was pretty winnable, but that's how it is,'' Sania Mirza said after the match "I really didn't have the rhythm ... I saw it coming that I would make some errors when it really mattered and that's what happened,'' she felt.

Sania Mirza (32)	3	5
Michaella Krajicek (43)	6	7

Asia's raising Tennis Star Sania Mirza outplayed Bulgaria's Victoria Azarenka 7-6(8/6), 6-2 in 81 minutes first round clash at Australian Open Tennis Tournament 2006.
  

 Sania Mirza,  whose stars went sky high last year when she registered a phenomenal performance by reaching third round of the very Grand Slam, maintained her form to outclass the Bulgarian 7-6 (8-6), 6-2 in the first round.

Though the first round went to a tiebreak and Sania Mirza won 8-6, she was found comfortable in the second round to thrash the qualifier to 6-2 in the second set.

"Early in the match there was some initial nervousness but I settled and that's why I seemed to take control in the later stages of the match," Sania Mirza told after the match.

Sania Mirza said she was excited to be back at Australian Open, which she feels as SPECIAL to her.

Sania did not feel pressure to better last year's third round performance at Melbourne Park, "Every tournament I go to, my goal is to win the first round, which I've done now."

About the mounting pressure by fans from back home, Sania Mirza said "I think I have enough people putting expectations on me, I shouldn't put expectations on myself."

But Sania is realistic when she said, "Pressure and expectation are a part and parcel of every athlete's life and you just have to deal with it."

Sania Mirza was seeded 32 and slated to meet qualifier Victoria Azarenka on Tuesday in the first round.

Last year Sania Mirza entered Australian Open with a wildcard, and lost to eventual champion Serena Villiams after advancing to third round. Thus Sania become the first Indian female player to play third round in a Grand Slam Tennis Tournament.

Australian Open - pre tournament interview with Sania Mirza.

Q. Looking back at what happened with you last year, can you just talk about that?

SANIA MIRZA: Well, yeah, it all started here. It's always going to be very special for me to come back here. You know, it's been a phenomenal year. To be honest, I did surprise myself to some extent maybe. I really didn't think it was going to happen so fast. I can't believe it's already been 12 months and I'm back here again. It's been a great year in everything. I've gained experience, moved up in rankings, played some great matches. Lost some, won some. It's been a great year.

Q. What stands out the most from last year?

SANIA MIRZA: Well, there's just not one thing. I think, you know, like I said, just playing against the best and just knowing that you're matching the best. I think that's one thing that has given me so much confidence.

Q. I think you're No. 2 in Asia now. You have a lot of expectations on your shoulders, not just from India, but from Asia. How do you handle those expectations? What are your hopes for this tournament?

SANIA MIRZA: Well, I think as an athlete, not only as a tennis player, you need ‑‑ expectations just come with the package. You need to learn how to take it. I think it just in a way motivates me because I know there are so many people backing me. Before it was just India, but now it's the whole of Asia that's backing me.

Sometimes you need to shut out some things and go on court and play your hundred percent, give your hundred percent every time you're on court, you know, leave the rest to that day. Really, it's very hard for me to say that every time I step on court I'm going to win every match. You know, that's how it's going to be. I can't do anything. There are some things out of my control, like the expectation part.

Q. Is there a different feeling coming in this year? Last year you weren't expected to do as well as you did. Now the expectations are higher.

SANIA MIRZA: Yeah. Well, I mean, I think just the numbers. I was a wildcard last year. I'm the 32 seed this year. Obviously people are going to expect a lot more from me ‑ even if not more, at least what I did last year. Like I said, you need to shut all those things out. Personally, every time I walk into a tournament, whatever tournament it is, I never go in saying I have to play the final of the tournament. Every time I walk in, it's there to win the first round.

Q. Do you feel this year may be a bigger change for you now that the other players know who you are, how you play?

SANIA MIRZA: Yeah, every year gets tougher on the circuit. You know, I'm no more a rookie any more. Obviously, a lot of people have seen how I play. A lot of people have seen my game. But, I mean, you know, I've worked with Tony in December, the whole of December, made some changes in my game. You know, I'm back fresher. I'm really excited. It's going to be great competition.

Q. You talked about shutting things out. How do you successfully shut those things out?

SANIA MIRZA: Like I said, I think you need to just go out there and play your game. I mean, every time if I step on court, start thinking about what a certain person has to say about every shot that I play, then I don't think ‑‑ I'm sure everybody has their own opinion. I think it's just a matter of taking some and not taking some. I think you just need to differentiate which is the better opinion that you need to take.

Like I said, expectations are not in my control. That's something I have to live with. That's every sports person's whatever you can call it. They just have to live with it.

Q. You also have to shut a lot of things out away from the court. How difficult is that?

SANIA MIRZA: It gets hard sometimes, like I said, just the way you shut out expectations. You know, I'm there, I'm playing tennis. That's what I'm here for. That's why I'm sitting in front of you all today, because I'm a tennis player. That's what I want to do the best I can for however long I can.

Q. Where did you do the work with Tony?

SANIA MIRZA: In Sydney.

Q. What specifically did you work on?

SANIA MIRZA: Well, we kind of worked on my serve, changed my action a little bit, worked a lot on my volleys, getting some variation in my game.

Q. Was that at his home court?

SANIA MIRZA: Sometimes. But sometimes we were playing at a club.

Q. Was Roger there at the same time?

SANIA MIRZA: He came in the last week.

Q. Did you have a chance to have a hit with him?

SANIA MIRZA: I just warmed him up. No, not really. Tony is amazing. He was on the court almost seven, eight hours a day. You know, he had to kind of distribute the time after Roger came in. It was like two hours for me, two hours with Roger, then I was back after two hours. He was actually giving personal attention to both of us. Actually, Sophie Ferguson was actually training with me, too.

Q. Do you get home very much? If so, what is the reception like these days?

SANIA MIRZA: Well, I've not been ‑‑ I left home 29th of November and I've not been home since. Every time I step back, when I get back, it doesn't mean I'm going to have a great reception. Like last year when I went back from the Australian Open, obviously people were very excited. There's press, there were like all these people.

It's amazing, though, like the amount of people that are so proud of you when you go back home, the amount of people that come up to you and say, "I'm proud to be Indian, you're doing a great job for India." It's just amazing that you can bring so many smiles to so many faces.

Q. Are you able to keep your privacy when you're home?

SANIA MIRZA: When I'm in Australia, yeah, it's a bit easier (laughter). Yeah, when I'm in India, it does get tough. I'm going to this place to practice, then I'm back home. Don't really like going out too much because I know I'm always going to be noticed. Again, that's the option I've made and this is what I've opted for. I think every sports person who is successful has to go through this. I'm enjoying it.

Q. Who introduced you to tennis and to sport? India has a strong sporting culture.

SANIA MIRZA: Well, there's a lot of cricket in my family, like from my dad's side. In fact, he used to play top cricket. I had a few uncles who played a lot of cricket. I guess if I was a guy, I'd be playing cricket, too.

I love the sport. I was the first one to play tennis. My parents always had a dream that they wanted their child to play a sport, a boy or a girl. They obviously never ‑‑ it was always a dream to play on Centre Court at Wimbledon or center court at the US Open or play the Grand Slams. I don't think they ever thought it would come true so quickly.

It just kept happening. I just started playing tournaments. I used to go swimming, tennis, do a lot of things. I think they just ‑‑ at 6, obviously you don't know what you're best at. My parents had the eye and they kind of realized that I was more talented at tennis than all the other things.

Q. Some countries do have women's cricket teams.

SANIA MIRZA: So does India. We do actually. I think one of the Indian girls holds a world record, Mithali Raj, she comes from my city. Yeah, we do have. But it's not as big as men's cricket.

Q. You weren't tempted to go into that, follow in the family tradition?

SANIA MIRZA: Not really. I used to do everything except play cricket. When I was, I used to play badminton, swimming, tennis. For some very weird reason, I didn't play cricket. I don't know why. I never ‑‑ I don't know, I just never ‑‑ like till lately, I didn't even know there was such a big team. England was touring India I think a couple years ago. Before that, I didn't even know.

Q. Do you feel you have it within yourself to be a Grand Slam champion? If so, what sort of time frame have you given yourself personally to achieve that?

SANIA MIRZA: That's definitely a dream. I think this is what we're all playing for, is to win a Grand Slam, is to be the best you can. But I really ‑‑ it's very hard to say whether I'm going to or when I'm going to. It's just a matter of time. There are a lot of things that count in winning a Grand Slam or even for that matter staying at the position where I am. I mean, the amount of injuries that we have, the amount of pressure we're putting on our bodies, it's a very hard sport.

I really don't want to set a time frame when I want to win a Grand Slam. I just hope I stay here at this level or get better as good as I can and stay here for a few years at least.

Q. Do you set yourself a goal for a tournament like this?

SANIA MIRZA: Like I said, every time I enter a Grand Slam or every time I enter a tournament, the first goal is to pass the first round because I feel passing the first round is one of the toughest things to do in a tournament because everyone's fresh. Getting into a tournament, especially when, like you said, there are a lot of expectations. Over here, I'm seeded. Obviously, however much you try to shut it out, there is this thing in your mind because the person you're playing has no pressure at all, she's just playing there because it's her whatever. It's the first round. So I think that's the toughest part.

Q. If you could choose one Grand Slam to win, which one would it be?

SANIA MIRZA: Well, any Grand Slam would be fine (laughter). I don't know. I would just be lucky if I win any Grand Slam. It's very hard for me to choose which one.

Q. When you were younger, playing backyard cricket, cricketers thinking about playing at Lords or the MCG. You were dreaming about US Open and Wimbledon. What were those tournaments for you back home?

SANIA MIRZA: Well, interestingly enough, when my parents decided ‑‑ well, when they did see the talent in me when I played tennis, we were holidaying in Bangalore, a city in India. My parents were watching I think a Wimbledon final between Steffi and Conchita Martinez, I think. My dad said, "Can you imagine our daughter playing there one day?" My mom said, "I would give my life if she could play there." When I walked on the Wimbledon Centre Court, I think that was the most special moment for me because it was like a dream come true for my parents.

Q. Were you surprised at the negative side that your higher profile brought last year?

SANIA MIRZA: Not really. I think everything's got its pros and everything's got its cons. The way you take wins you need to take the losses. The way you take all the positive things, you need to take all the negative things. It just goes with ‑‑ I think it just comes in a package.

“It all started here,” when Sania Mirza said – she was telling about 2005 Australian Open, where she advanced to third round to meet eventual champion Serena Villiams.

Sania Mirza arrived in Melbourne for 2005 Australian Open as a unknown 18 year old player, also from India – a country never produced a celebrity female tennis player ever, who was ranked 166 and entered her grand slam life with a wild card.

But 2006, Sania Mirza was seeded 32 in the Australian Open and many of her fans at home and abroad want her to do better than last year.

The past one year saw Sania Mirza got a phenomenal growth, which she describes, “It’s been a phenomenal year. To be honest, I did surprise myself to some extent.”

 It is a fantastic year to remember, says Indian Sensation Sania Mirza, “I really didn’t think it was going to happen so fast.”

When she began last year she wants to end at top 100. But now Sania Mirza is 31^st rank in WTA as she keep raising her goals because she kept surpassing them.

She had a mixed year with lucrative endorsement contracts on one side and also with controversies.

Sania Mirza had a huge following in her country, “It’s amazing ... the amount of people that are so proud of you when you go back home, the amount of people that come up to you and say, ‘I’m proud to be Indian, you’re doing a great job for India,”

“It’s just amazing that you can bring so many smiles to so many faces,” Sania Mirza says.

Sania Mirza gave a tough time for World number 17, Daniela Hantuchova in the first round of Sydney International. Eventually Sania Mirza lost to Daniela Hantuchova 4-6 6-2 2-6.

The second set saw the best of Sania Mirza as she presented her best serves and those powerful forehands. Slovokian Daniela could not contain Sania and surrenderd the set to the Indian 2-6.

Sania Mirza was evidently tired and could not play to her standards as she started throwing returns wide off the line. Daniela had no problem in winding up the decider 6 - 2 in her favor.

However even after loosing the match, Sania Mirza looked confident and said "I think I have recovered sufficiently from the back problem as I had no problems with it."

Sania's tough three week work out with Toneu Roche helped her to find the rhythm. 'it will take me a few months in match pressure situations before I expect to be confident with what I am trying to execute. But for a start — pretty good,'' this is what Sania Mirza said about her training during the winter break in Sydney.

The lead up tournament for Australian Open had a tough draw, which pitted world 32nd ranked Sania Mirza against the 17th ranked player.

The five-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams exhibit her power to Indian sensation Sania Mirza in the Hong kong Champions Challenge.

19 year Sania Mirza played Venus last year in Caifornia, to loose 3-6, 2-6 to the senior.

Though Sania broke Venus twice in the first round, Venus called the shots all over the match. Even Venus' injury couldn't help Sania.

Sania Mirza buoyed up with an overwhelming support from the local crowd in Hong Kong.

Annoying personal questions made Sania to say ''I had come to represent the Malabar group, an NRI jewellery group, and would want to talk about the company's future plans,'' and left the room, in Kochi on Sunday.

Sania Mirza was in Kochi in connection with a function organised by the Malabar Group of companies.

At the beginning of the conference Sania asked the press to avoid personal questions. But the media men started asking ONLY personal questions. This made Sania to decide not to continue the meeting any further and walked away.

The Company Chairman P A Ahammed and Managing Director and Co-Chairman P A Ibrahim Haji were also present on the occasion along with another co-ambassador and Malayalam film star Mohanlal.

Even after clarifing her stand on the issue, fundamentalists of Islam and Hindu shows their imbecility against the Indian Tennis Pride Sania Mirza.

This issue was taken against the young tennis talent and started to show protests all over without proper reasoning.

The media also blowing out of proportion, even after Sania Mirza clarified her stand on the issue.

It is a Mad Mad World er.. Religion out there.