MELBOURNE: The Australian Open tagline of ‘The Story Starts Here' rings true for Sania Mirza. That was 18 years ago. The Hyderabadi was 18 then and had made the third round of the women's singles, where she played the legendary Serena Williams.
Back then, the John Cain Arena was called the Vodafone Arena. A young Indian girl with a wardrobe full of statement tees was yet to deliver her best lines. Sania may have taken only five games off the American that summer weekend, but when the teenager left the stadium that day, she walked away with a sense of belief that has been her constant companion since.
"That is when I started believing that I belong," she said. "It made me believe that a young Indian girl, with the dream to play in the Slams, try and win them (could do that). Even though I've won many more matches after that, won Grand Slams, that memory. . . I'm getting goosebumps talking about it."
Fittingly, Sania's last tango on a major stage is at Melbourne Park. The 36-year-old, who'll play the Dubai Duty Free tennis next month in her farewell tournament, will sign off from the Slams with the mixed doubles final atthe Rod Laver Arena on Friday. Sania and Bopanna take on the Brazilian pairing of Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos at about the time India wakes up.
Sania, in her eighth mixed doubles final, fifth at Melbourne Park, — where she won the title with Mahesh Bhupathi in 2009 — and Bopanna, in his second mixed final here, are Tour veterans. They'll have plenty of support in the stands.
Bopanna's wife Supriya and daughter Tridha are here and Sania's parents Imran and Nasima and son Izhaan have been a constant presence at courtside this fortnight.
Bopanna argued that though the Hyderabadi has won plenty at this level, her farewell tournament was as good a platform as any to underline her presence in an Indian context.
"Everybody asks why there are no singles players (from India), there's only doubles players," the 42-year-old said. "At least we have somebody still flying the flag. That's the most important thing. That's the only way to inspire somebody. If you're watching your countrymen participate, that is the true inspiration. Doesn't matter whether it'ssingles, doubles or mixed doubles."
The front page of a newspaper makes an impact. "Sania has been doing this for such a long time. So many girls have picked up tennis thanks to Sania's tremendous career," Bopanna said. "Even if that increases by one per cent (on Friday), I think it's a big win for the country."
