Sania Mirza World

The under-construction DLTA Complex is currently playing host to the women’s national championships, but strangely enough for a Monday morning packed schedule of first-round matches, all roads appeared to be leading to the serenely secluded courts at the back.

Regardless of their involvement in the day’s play, players, parents, and observers could be seen peering over each other’s shoulders and jostling for space just so they could get a peek at Sania Mirza and her fast-recovering forehand.

With mother Naseema watching, Sania traded a series of fierce forehands with Radhika Tulpule, the rallies interjected with good-humoured banter, and the new, improved, confident Sania was very much in evidence.

“A lot of people are surprised I’m playing again so fast, but I feel good to be on court again. It’s been nearly two weeks since I began hitting the ball, and I’m almost pain-free now. I feel fit, and I hope I stay fit. I feel like I’m improving by the minute,” smiled Sania.

The 21-year-old is in town for treatment on her right wrist from a doctor recommended by cricketer Yuvraj Singh, and will be here till Thursday.

Her mental tenacity hasn’t been left to doubt, as she has been soaking in the brickbats with equal aplomb since the early days of her career. The Olympics disappointment, though, was far too big a pill to swallow. “I was in depression after I got back. The Olympics performance was definitely the low point of my career. We weren’t sure what the problem was, so when I got back, we were all in a daze, rushing from one doctor to another trying to figure it out,” she said.

“But I’m a very positive person, and perhaps all this just had to happen. It is a long process, physically, mentally, but it is a process which has to take its course. I feel better after the treatment, and I know I look fitter,” she laughed.

The hardest part, though, was probably the inactivity. “I can’t sit idle for long. I would go crazy when it wasn’t possible for me to play, and going to the gym was the only option. I couldn’t even do upper body exercises, but I would hog the treadmill,” she said.