TENNIS:The mood here among the tennis founding nations of the US, Australia and America (France is doing fine) is one of gloom. As less developed countries continue to inject talent into the tour at a rate which outstrips the strongholds, the view is that maybe hardship is the answer. Pampered kids in country clubs just ain't doing it anymore.
Yesterday India's Sania Mirza faced Serbia's Ana Ivanovic in their second round match, with Ivanovic advancing 6-1, 6-4.
Mirza, a 20-year-old from Hyderabad contesting her 10th Grand Slam, in 2005 became the first Indian woman to reach the fourth round of a major at the US Open.
But Mirza, a Muslim, plays tennis despite the close attention she receives from extreme elements within Islam. As much as most Indians are proud of her single-minded achievements, Mirza has also attracted the attention of the zealots.
Not only have the multiple nose and ear piercings offended them, but the revealing clothes are also unacceptable.
The Sunni Ulema Board called Mirza a "corrupting influence" who is "bringing shame to Islam".
One militant organisation warned that its members would try to prevent Mirza from playing if she did not wear what they deemed were "proper clothes".
Just over 18 months ago Mirza was forced to use body guards when she played a match in Calcutta, following the threats.
But far from shying away from the unwanted attention, the player has become a touchstone for many women's groups in India and elsewhere.
At Wimbledon, she wore a T-shirt that read, "Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History", and at the US Open was seen in another that read, "You Can Either Agree With Me - Or Be Wrong."
This week she said she would never abandon India despite the intense pressure of being one of the nation's most high-profile stars.
"Everything I am today, I am because of India," she said.
People like Mirza and the glut of Serbian players in the draw, who have had to fight for everything, is getting many people here considering what exactly it takes now to make a top-50 player.
Men's Singles
Second round: (6) N Djokovic (Ser) bt L Recouderc (Fra) 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-1, (16) M Baghdatis (Cyp) bt K Pless (Den) 7-5 6-3 6-4, J Hajek (Cze) bt B Ulihrach (Cze) 6-2 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 6-2, (14) L Hewitt (Aus) bt G Gaudio (Arg) 4-6 3-6 6-2 6-4 6-2, O Patience (Fra) bt M Zabaleta (Arg) 7-5 6-3 3-6 2-6 6-4, JP Brzezicki (Arg) bt G Garcia-Lopez (Spn) 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 6-0, (7) I Ljubicic (Cro) bt S Wawrinka (Swi) 6-4 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-3, (23) C Moya (Spn) bt F Serra (Fra) 6-4 6-2 6-4, (12) D Ferrer (Spn) bt D Hartfield (Arg) 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-4), (2) R Nadal (Spn) bt F Cipolla (Ita) 6-2 6-1 6-4, (20) J Nieminen (Fin) bt M Montcourt (Fra) 6-1 6-1 6-4, O Hernandez (Spn) bt (28) P Kohlschreiber (Ger) 7-6 (10-8) 6-1 6-1, A Montanes (Spn) bt E Gulbis (Lat) 6-1 6-2 1-6 7-6 (7-3), F Verdasco (Spa) bt (21) D Tursunov (Rus) 6-4 6-4 6-4.
Women's Singles
Second round: (7) A Ivanovic (Ser) bt S Mirza (Ind) 6-1 6-4, (2) M Sharapova (Rus) bt J Craybas (US) 6-2 6-1, (25) L Safarova (Cze) bt N Pratt (Aus) 6-0 6-1, A Kudryavtseva (Rus) bt (29) G Dulko (Arg) 7-5 1-6 8-6, (14) P Schnyder (Swi) bt K Bondarenko (Ukr) 6-3 6-2, R Olaru (Rom) bt T Poutchek (Blr) 6-3 6-0, (17) K Srebotnik (Slo) bt V Dushevina (Rus) 6-4 6-2, K Knapp (Ita) bt (22) A Bondarenko (Ukr) 6-4 2-6 6-3, (8) S Williams (USA) bt M Sequera (Ven) 6-0 7-6 (7-3), (15) S Peer (Isr) bt E Gallovitz (Rom) 6-4 6-1, (5) A Mauresmo (Fra) bt N Dechy (Fra) 6-3 6-7 6-1, (24) A M Garrigues (Spa) bt E Likhovtseva (Rus) 7-5 6-4, D Cibulkova (Svk) bt (32) M Muller (Ger) 6-3 6-2.
