Indian teenage tennis sensation Sania Mirza arrived Mumbai, early on Wednesday from New York,
was whisked away in a waiting car on her arrival at Mumbai airport.

Sania Mirza made waves in the US Open before being stopped at the pre-quarter-final by top seeded Russian Maria Sharapova.

Sania Mirza impressed one and all during her campaign in the women's singles of US Open Tennis Tournament 2005. Also Sania Mirza became the first Indian woman to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam tennis event.

Sania Mirza fourth round post match interview menuscript:
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Was that an enjoyable experience today?


SANIA MIRZA: Yeah. I mean, there were a lot of games, which I could have taken. But I had fun out there. Had a great Open. First US Open, I don't think I can ask for more. Very happy.

Q. When you play, you tend to be very aggressive, try risky shots. Do you think your experience here will convince you to temper that a little?


SANIA MIRZA:I don't think anything can convince me to temper that. That's the sad part. But, I mean, I guess people just have to accept it, you know. That's how I play. I'm going to have maybe 50 unforced errors one day, but I'm going to also have 50 winners that day. That's what I compensated for. I think people just have to accept me the way I play and not maybe I can add variation to my game, but I'm going to win matches only when I hit those winners. If I win matches by moonballing, then I'm not going to satisfy myself the way I played that day. I enjoy hitting the ball as hard as I can. I enjoy taking risks. And I believe that you always have to take risks. You know, I enjoyed every minute out there today.

Q. When you play a person as strong as Sharapova, does that make you rethink that a little?

SANIA MIRZA:No, I mean, today if I would have pushed the ball, I probably would have lost Love and Love. So I had to go for my shots, and I did. I got a few. I got a few in. I got a few out. That just gives me experience. Probably next time, you know, I'm probably going to have a lot more matches hopefully against her, and it's just a lesson.

Q. What is it you'll do differently next time against Sharapova? Anything surprise you about the way she played?


SANIA MIRZA:Let's think about it. I have time to think about it. I'll come up with a game plan, you know. She obviously played some really good shots out there. She gets a lot more balls, a lot tougher balls, which obviously a lot of players when I hit they're winners, but she gets to them. We'll see.

Q. You played on Arthur Ashe, the fourth round. Is this the highlight of your career so far?


SANIA MIRZA: Yeah, definitely. I mean, fourth round in a Grand Slam, first US Open, first year on the tour. I think I'm very pleased by the way the year has gone for me til now.

Q. The last time you played against Serena Williams in Australia, you said you were fighting some nerves. Did you have that problem here? How could you compare the two experiences?


SANIA MIRZA: No, today I don't think I was nervous, not even a little bit actually. I was expecting it. I knew it was going to be packed and I was expecting there was going to be a lot of crowd for me and her. So I was prepared for it mentally. I don't think I was you know, I wasn't intimidated.

Q. The fact that there was a large crowd and they seemed to be cheering for you, how does that make you feel?


SANIA MIRZA: Good. It's nice to know that people really like you and they're really, you know, for you, wherever you go. It just motivates you even more.

Q. Your second serve was a problem today. You've been working on that. Any regrets on this match?


SANIA MIRZA: No. I mean, you know, I don't want to regret I have no regrets. My serve, we've been trying to work on it, but we couldn't because I had the stomach injury, so really didn't get time in the past at least month to work on it. I think except my serve, I think I played a good match. I hit the ball well. I was feeling it well. You know, I'm just happy that I made it to the fourth round.

Q. You've had the fastest climb up the ranks of any WTA player in the past 12 months. What do you think the watershed point was?

SANIA MIRZA: I don't know. It just happened. You know, I can't really pinpoint one thing that happened. Just Australia and then I won the tournament in Hyderabad, just gave me more confidence every time I stepped on court. Even today's match gives me more confidence, even though the score line suggests it's 2 1. I think it was much closer than that. There was lots of deuces and advantages which I had. There were a lot of breakpoints I had. 4 2, 40 Love in the first set I mean, Love 40, I think if I would have broken her, it was a different story if it was 4 3 or 5 2. You know, it just gives me more confidence every time I'm going to step out now.

Q. Do you find at certain points, you pushed back with the groundstrokes. Is that something you can do yourself?

SANIA MIRZA:I always believed that. You know, I always say that I can match the best when it comes to the groundstrokes. It's just probably a few other things like the physical fitness or the serve that I kind of have to work on to, you know, match them. You know, it didn't surprise me. Yeah, like I say, it's going to give me confidence the next time I'm going to step on court.

Q. Surface wise, would this be your favorite or do you think you prefer grass?


SANIA MIRZA:Hard court. I mean, you know, we have just one season on grass. That's just before Wimbledon. I like grass. It's a fast surface. I like fast surfaces. I mean, I definitely prefer hard to any other surface.

Q. Where do you go from here?


SANIA MIRZA: Bali. I play Bali and then Calcutta.

Q. Any words for your audience who was cheering for you today?


SANIA MIRZA: I'm sorry to keep you up so late. It's like 2:30 in the morning there. Thanks for all the support. I just hope that I can probably do better next time.

Q. Are you really sorry or would you like to have kept thumb up for another couple of hours?

SANIA MIRZA: Yeah, hopefully them and me. I guess that's just the way it is.

Indian Teen Tennis Sensation Sania Mirza ends her campaign in US Open with the pre quarter finals defeat, at the hands of another Teen Sensation and top seeded Maria Sharapova.

The score:2-6, 1-6.

John Farrington says the teen tennis sensation Sania Mirza has a "good chance" of toppling world number two and top seed Maria Sharapova in the women's singles fourth round of the US Open Grand Slam tomorrow.

Sania Mirza's coach John Farrington said the type of game the Russian star played, suited Sania better than any other player's.

"Sania Mirza can do extremely well. Maria (Sharapova) hits with a lot of pace, and so Sania Mirza doesn't need to generate pace on her own," Farrington told PTI.

"We have got a good opportunity, a good chance. We do have a gameplan for Maria," he added.

According to Farrington, Sania Mirza was up against a "slow" opponent in Marion Bartoli of France in the fourth round.

"Bartoli hits with a slow pace and as such Sania Mirza had to generate all the power," he said.

Farrington was full of praise for Sania Mirza who he said showed a lot of character in coming through a difficult third round match.

"There were moments when Sania Mirza did not execute what she was told but there were many moments when she did exactly as she was asked to.

"Sania Mirza is still not playing at her best. That talks a lot about her character. If all things come together, it will be much easier for her in the fourth round.

Asked about the numerous unforced errors by Sania Mirza, Farrington said the teenager was still on the learning curve. "A lot depends on who she is playing. There was an injury time out during here match with Bartoli," he said referring to the three-minute break Bartoli took to treat a calf muscle strain when the scores were 5-5 in the first set.

On resumption, Sania Mirza dropped serve.

"We have to remember that Sania Mirza is only 18 and still maturing, developing. You have to deal with outside elements to keep focus," he said citing the strong wind conditions during her earlier matches.

Farrington also said Sania Mirza's injuries -- abdominal strain and foot blisters -- would have to be carefully handled.

"It is just wear and tear, she has been playing continuously for weeks on different surfaces, lots of matches.

"There have also been added fitness problems. I can't say what exactly have caused them. The stomach problem had been there a bit earlier in the year as well. We are dealing with it carefully." The coach, who hails from Bahamas, said Sania Mirza would need a couple of week's rest after the US Open to treat her abdominal strain but she would not skip the Sunfeast Open in Kolkata from September 19 to 25.

"We would probably miss the Bali event but we would be there in Kolkata. That is for sure," he said.

Asked which were the areas in which Sania Mirza needed improvement, the coach said, "it is a combination of lot of things. It is going to take time.

"Her game is one of aggression. What we are trying to make it is one of controlled aggression. It is bringing bits and pieces together.

Sania Mirza defeated Marion Bartoli 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 at the US Open third round.

Sania Mirza 3rd round post match interview menuscript:

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Sania, please.

Q. When you're not really controlling the ball like you want to, the balls are going out in a big match, does that bother you? What's going through your mind at those times?
SANIA MIRZA: I think, first of all, we need to... hold on one second. Sorry about that. First of all, I think we need to start thinking that every tennis player is human and we all make errors in every match that I play. I don't know what you mean by not controlling the ball when you want to, I guess we all make errors, forced or unforced. It does irritate you sometimes, yeah, but that's the way tennis goes. You can't hit every ball perfectly.

Q. Being a bit more positive, are you very happy to be as far as you are in another Grand Slam?
SANIA MIRZA: Yeah. Obviously. I mean, every round of a Grand Slam is very important, especially fourth round at the US Open. I'm, you know ‑‑ I just came here thinking I wanted to win one round and won three. I'm very happy about it.

Q. How far do you think you can go?
SANIA MIRZA: I don't want to think anything because I just want to, you know, have fun out there. I have a big match against I don't know who yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

Q. 45 winners to only 4 from Bartoli which is a pretty good statistic. That's what they're saying?
SANIA MIRZA: I don't know about that.

Q. She's a hard hitter. Did you feel you were dictating most of the match?
SANIA MIRZA:I did play much better than I have in the past two matches, and I still feel that I could have done a bit better, you know, I probably could have finished the first set a bit earlier than I did. But, I mean, you know, she's a very different kind of player. You have to think. She makes you think what you have to do. She hits the ball pretty cleanly. But you have to play smart tennis out there. I think I, uhm, I don't know about the winner count, though, but I did hit quite a lot of winners. I'm happy about the way I played.

Q. Was this last match good practice for your next round, like Sharapova?
SANIA MIRZA:I think we still have to wait if Sharapova is winning or not. Every match that you play out there is a good preparation. I've played a lot of sets already. Yeah, she was, it was good practice for me. I'm not sure when I'm going to play my next round, but I'm hitting the ball much better than I have been.

Q. Are you surprised with how fast you climbed the rankings in the past year?
SANIA MIRZA: It was quite fast. I'm not sure if I was surprised. But, you know, I don't know. It just kept ‑‑ you know, I was just enjoying the moment, I guess. It just kept happening. I never surprise myself. I always believed I could do it. It was just a question of when I could do it, and I guess it was sooner rather than later.

Q. What were the reasons for your sudden breakthrough?
SANIA MIRZA: I don't know. I think I've just, you know, some training, I think I worked on a few weaknesses that I thought I had. Especially my fitness, you know, I've been injured. I was injured for about almost three months this year. Apart from that I think I've had a great year. It's just that I guess I'm just playing like the best tennis I ever have.

Q. If you play Maria, it might be on Ashe stadium, probably at night. Will it be the biggest match of your career?
SANIA MIRZA: I don't know. It will be one of the biggest matches of my career. You know, I think I played Wimbledon Centre Court. It's definitely going to be one of the biggest matches in my career, but hopefully I'll have the crowd there again. I mean, it's great. It's the biggest stadium in, you know, in all the Grand Slams, so I'm actually very excited.

Q. How much of a test will it be for you mentally trying to keep your nerves and being able to play your game without letting the occasion overwhelm you?
SANIA MIRZA: Just give me time. Let this sink in, come on. Don't hurry up (smiling). I don't know. I mean, you know, I really ‑‑ I am not even thinking about it right now. I just want to enjoy this moment right now. Then when I'm gonna go out there, I don't think I'll be ‑‑ you know, I don't think I'll be intimidated but, you know, it's obviously a very big match for me. So let's see.

Q. Have you met Sharapova at all?
SANIA MIRZA: No, not at all. I've seen her around since the Juniors and, you know, here. But only three, four years, but I never played her or met her.

Q. How do you feel your game matches up with hers?
SANIA MIRZA: I don't know (laughing). I think we both hit the ball pretty hard, so that's one similarity I see. The others, I think we should wait and watch.

Q. Do you analyze your rivals before playing them?
SANIA MIRZA: I think everyone does. You kind of have to have a game plan before you go on court, whether you played them or not, doesn't matter. So you just have to, you know, do ‑‑ it's just the question of how you execute it when you go out there. We all have game plans when we go out. I had a game plan today and it worked so...

Q. What was going through your mind when you finished the match? You're in the fourth round of the US Open, and an Indian hasn't been there.
SANIA MIRZA: That's not what I think every time I step on court, that an Indian never did this, an Indian never did that. I'm just there because I just want to be there. I'm happy, I'm starting something. I'm not thinking who did it or who's gonna do it. Nothing. What was I thinking? I was actually absolutely blank. I was just enjoying the moment. I loved playing out there, loved playing for the people. They all seemed pretty happy by the performance, so I just loved being out there.

Q. Are you impressed that Sharapova was able to win Wimbledon by 17 and get to the No. 1 ranking by 18?
SANIA MIRZA: I mean, obviously, I think the whole world is impressed. 17 to win Wimbledon, it's absolutely great. She's been ‑‑ she's obviously a very, very good player. You know, it's great to come out. She had a history, she came from Russia, stuff like that. So it's really good.

Q. Can you just talk a little bit about yourself, about your growth curve and getting to where you want to. You're a little older than she is, but you obviously grew up under different circumstances?
SANIA MIRZA: Yeah, I mean, you know, when you come out from a country like India or one of those countries, it's obviously much tougher for you because ‑‑ I guess now, if there are people starting tennis now, it's easier because the facilities are improving. But at that time, I mean, I played in clay courts where it was almost, you know ‑‑ there were almost craters on the court. I twisted my ankle about a dozen times a day. So the first time I got coaching outside India was last year, and, I mean, whatever I did to last year was playing in India, so I don't think it would be that bad. But, you know, it's obviously ‑‑ I just started going for swimming and just started playing tennis just for the fun. I never thought it would be this professional. But after a certain point, yes, we did.

Q. People are curious about your T‑shirt. Why didn't you wear the ones with the sayings on them? It's hard to tell what today's says. Can you tell us?
SANIA MIRZA: (Laughing). I think I've said this enough, a number of times, but oh, my God, this is the last time I'm going to wear a T‑shirt in a press conference that says something. It's no big deal. I'm 18 years old. Give me a break. I'm just trying to have some fun here. I'm bored of the stripes or checks or the lines. It's nothing. I always say if I have to make a statement or say something, I can speak, I don't have to wear it. I can always tell people what I want to.

Q. Is Sharapova secretly someone you want to measure yourself against?
SANIA MIRZA: Secretly? No, never. I mean, she's obviously the younger one out there who's world No. 1, so I still have nothing to lose if I'm going to play her. There's obviously no pressure on me. I don't think a lot of people expect me to win. So I never really wanted to play her, but, I mean, she's one of the players I haven't played on the circuit ever, so that will be interesting.

Q. You made such a quick rise this past year. Do you remember the last time you walked on court and you were intimidated by your opponent?
SANIA MIRZA: I think when I played Serena in Australia I was a bit nervous, to be honest. Actually, that was the beginning of everything to happen. I played, you know ‑‑ it was just that I woke up and I couldn't sleep the night before because I was going to play her.

I guess once you're on the circuit all the time, you kind of get used to seeing them around and playing against them. So I don't think a lot of people intimidate me now.

Q. Will you be able to draw on this experience for this match against Maria?
SANIA MIRZA: Yeah, I've played on big stadiums before. I've played in front of big crowds. So, you know, all that just counts and all that experience that you get from playing in those matches and, you know, playing on all those big courts, it just pays off, like hopefully it will in a couple of days.

Q. Can you tell us, how big of a thrill was it for you to win a title in your home town?
SANIA MIRZA: Winning a WTA is great, and I guess winning it at home was just the icing on the cake for me. You know, just in front of my family, friends, in front of all the fans, in front of my country, it was actually my hometown. So it was just amazing. I think there was a lot of pressure, even though I was ‑‑ you know, I was the last one to get in the main draw, but there was a lot of pressure. People didn't expect me to lose. I'm just glad I stood up to their expectations.

Q. Have you met Sachin Tend Ulkar?
SANIA MIRZA: Yes, he actually gifted me a car.

Q. A car?
SANIA MIRZA: Yeah, after I won the junior Wimbledon doubles.

Q. His nickname is Little Master?
SANIA MIRZA: Yeah.

Indian tennis sensation Sania Mirza reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time as she defeated Marion Bartoli 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 at the US Open.

In a see-saw opening set, India's Sania Mirza squandered a 4-2 lead and France's Bartoli was hindered by a leg injury.

But Sania Mirza dominated the inevitable tie-break with some powerful strokes to take a one-set lead in Flushing Meadow.

The 18-year-old then made a decisive break in the fifth game of the second set to ease into the last 16.

Sania Mirza will now face either top seed Maria Sharapova or German Julia Schruff for a place in the quarter-finals.

SANIA MIRZA POST MATCH INTERVIEW

Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza set another milestone by reaching third round of US Open Tennis Tournament.

Sania Mirza handed over defeat to Italian Maria Elena Camerin in hard fought a hard fought three-set match 6-4 1-6 6-4.

The 18-year-old Indian, Sania Mirza despite losing serve in the third game, build up a 4-1 lead in the first set. But then she took the foot of the pedal and found Camerin stage a dramatic recovery from there.

Maria Elena Camerin, the 81st ranked Italian broke Sania Mirza in the 8th game, and although the Indian took the set by breaking back the 10th, she had managed to shift the momentum in her way.

The second set saw Camerin counter-punch with greater efficiency. The Italian broke Sania Mirza in the first and fifth game to take the set in 31 minutes.

When she was broken in the second game of the decider, Sania Mirza was a bundle of frayed energy. She was also suffering from cramps in both the legs.

But, three unforced errors by Camerin handed back the advantage to Sania Mirza and from there on, the Hyderabadi fought her back into the match.

A deadly backhand cross court winner was called out, but the chair umpire overruled. It gave Sania Mirza a break point and Camerin promptly put a forehand into the net to go down 2-3.

The drama was not over yet as Camerin levelled the score at 4-4. But Sania Mirza responded by unleashing a series of winners - a back hand down the line, an overhead smash and a return winner - to wrest the lead back.

Sania Mirza finally clinched the issue when a forehand pass set up a match point and Camerin hit a backhand wide.

If Sania Mirza went past third round, there may be an intresting pre-quarter final clash with Maria Sharapova.

Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza become the first Indian Female to win a main draw match in US Open.

In the first round of US Open Tennis Championship, Sania Mirza beaten American Mashona Washington in three sets.

Sania Mirza was strugling with muscle pull, but she managed to give a fight to win a match against a player who is 14 places down in WTA rankings.

The score:
Sania Mirza (Ind) beat Mashona Washington (USA) 7-6 (8-6), 6-7 (6-8), 6-4.

In the second round Sania Mirza will face Maria Elena Cmerin, who upset world 21st ranked Dinara Safina 6-3, 6-3.

Sania Mirza was honored by Indian government by giving her "Arjuna Award". This prestigious award - given to achivers in sports - is given to Indias precious tennis talent Sania Mirza.

As Sania Mirza is persuing US Open championship in USA, her mother Naseema has recieved the award on behalf, from Indian President Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam.