For the last three weeks as I have watched pictures of Sania Mirza smiling radiantly, trophy after trophy in hand, standing next to the great Martina Hingis, a wretched image has returned to my head.
It isn’t from very long ago. She is facing a TV camera. She is weeping inconsolably. Some demagogues have been calling her the “daughter-in-law of Pakistan” to score cheap political points. It is cruel. Vicious. Just sad.
Fast forward to April 2015.
“I am so proud of this accomplishment. I am so happy to give this number one back to my country.”
“MY COUNTRY”
I-N-D-I-A
Sania the National Treasure
Sania Mirza is a national treasure. She has climbed a summit no Indian woman has scaled before. Heck, none has even reached base camp. Hers has been a lonely battle. Leander Paes had Mahesh Bhupathi. Sania has had, well, only herself.
Tough Final Step
At Charleston, where Sania took the final step on the ladder to the top of the women’s doubles rankings, the odds were loaded against her and Hingis.
After winning back-to-back titles on the fast and true hard courts at Indian Wells and Miami, the green clay surface here was slower. The balls were heavier. It was harder to find footing.
Tough? Sure. And so it proved. Having won 20 straight sets since pairing up, the pair was stretched to three straight three-setters before the final. Every time they were pressured, they found an answer. Sania the brute enforcer from the backcourt. Hingis the canny finisher at the net. Together they were compelling. Sparkling. Winners.
“I don’t want to make you feel old, but I did watch you as a kid!” Sania chuckled addressing her partner, older by six years, on court as they received their trophy. “You were an idol to most young girls at the time. You made it when you were 15!”
What Lies Ahead
So what next for this accidental pairing that only joined forces because things weren’t quite falling in place with their respective partners? Hingis has won it all already, but Sania still has some things to tick off. She’s won three mixed doubles Grand Slams but a women’s doubles title still eludes her.
The red clay at Roland Garros in Paris beckons where this dazzling Indo-Swiss pairing will be among the leading contenders. Sania will stand at the back of the court, and like she does, she will pulverize the ball. Forehands and Backhands. And then they will share some laughs. Win or lose. It will be a good time. And, India will be cheering.
(The author is Senior Editor of ESPNCricInfo)