Tennis star Sania returns with Gold and Silver from Doha

Tennis star Sania returns with Gold and Silver from Doha

Hyderabad, Dec 14 (ANI): India's ace women tennis player Sania Mirza returned home on Thursday after winning Gold and Silver medals in the mixed doubles and women's singles categories respectively at the Doha Asiad, which concluded today.

Sania missed the gold in the Women Singles as Chinese Zheng Jie overcame the 20-year-old Indian 6-4 1-6 6-1 in a clash lasting almost two hours.

"I've had a tough year. It's been a very average year but at the time when I had to peak, I did. I think I am playing the best tennis I ever did and I think my fitness levels have gone up quite a few notches and that has helped my performance a lot and I think I worked hard in the last one, one-and-a-half month and I'm happy that it's paying off now," Mirza told reporters after arriving at her native Hyderabad.

The gold at the Mixed Doubles event was sweet revenge for Sania and her partner Leander Paes, who won a bronze in the 2002 Asiad in South Korea.

Though she said all players aimed at the gold medal, she was happy by playing good tennis.

"Ya, little bit, you are disappointed (at losing out on the gold medal), but having said that, I played some great tennis and I think Zheng (Zheng Jie of China) just deserved to win on that particular day. I didn't play with my best tennis but I think I gave all I had and I think that's more important. I gave my 100 percent but you know, silver is not so bad either," she said.

The Hyderabadi, who enjoyed a breakthrough 2005 when she became the first Indian to claim a WTA title and reach the top-50 in the women's rankings, has had a relatively disappointing season this year. (ANI)
 
Top