Thaindian News

Paris, June 4 (IANS) Russian Elena Vesnina, who lost the women’s doubles final at the French Open with Sania Mirza Friday, told her Indian partner that the two would some day win a Grand Slam title.

“We will win a Grand Slam title one day, we will come back strongly and will win more trophies on the Tour,” said Vesnina, thanking Sania for playing great tennis.

Sania, who missed adding a second Grand Slam title to her mixed doubles title at the 2009 Australian Open with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi, was all praise for the winners, though she said the wind was disconcerting throughout.

“A loss is a loss and it hurts for a while. But looking back at my career, there is a feeling of immense satisfaction at what I have achieved,” said Sania.

“Yes, we couldn’t adjust to the wind, but the team that acclimatises to the conditions comes out on top. Our opponents managed to adjust to the conditions better than us,” said Sania.

Saina, who overcame a career-threatening wrist injury besides other niggles in the last couple of years, fought back gallantly from a ranking of 166 to 72 before the Paris event.

She needed a wildcard to play in Dubai and Qatar Open at the beginning of the season. She then had to play qualifiers to on the U.S. circuit and also had to qualify for the main draw of the Australian Open before losing to former World No. 1 Justine Henin in the first round. She went down to World No.13 Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland in the second round here.

Sania made light of her not getting past the initial rounds in the singles, her last best round being a third round at the Australian Open in 2008, and said she hoped to get into the top 50 by the year-end.

She should do well at Wimbledon as grass is her favourite surface.

Even as she worked to improve her singles ranking, she made a tremendous impact in the doubles ever since she and Vesnina got together to play doubles at the Qatar Open. Soon they became a force to reckon with, winning the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells in March and the Family Circle Cup at Charleston, South Carolina, in April.

Sania said Vesnina was easily the best of all the partners she has played with.

Sania has played with South African Liezel Huber, Vania King and Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Israeli Sahar Peer, Maria Santangelo, Romanian Edina Gallovits, and Chinese Taipei’s Chuang Chia-jung. She said Vesnina was easily the best of all her partners.

“Elena is definitely right up there among the best,” she said.

What makes the partnership click so well? “We have been friends from our junior days and we get along wonderfully. She has a brilliant backhand and serve and is an ideal foil to my strengths - the forehand and return of serve.”

– Indo-Asian News Service
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