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Tuesday, 31 August 2010 |
 Sania Mirza won her fourth match on the trot to cruise to the second round of US Open but it was an early exit for Somdev Devvarman, who lost his opening round in the men's singles event.
Sania, who entered the women's singles as a qualifier, scored an easy 6-3, 6-2 win over fellow qualifier Michelle Larcher de Brito of Portugal in the first-round match.
Somdev, who earned a direct entry into a Grand Slam for the first time, went down fighting against the South Africa's Kevin Anderson 3-6, 4-6, 3-6 in his first round in the men's singles event.
The defeat means that Somdev has not gone beyond the first round in Grand Slams this season.
He had failed to qualify for the Australian Open and the Wimbledon and lost in the first round of the French Open.
A second round appearance at the US Open last year remains his best performance in the Slams.
It took Sania one hour and 17 minutes to dispatch her rival and set up a second round clash with Russian 20th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. |
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Saturday, 28 August 2010 |
 Sania Mirza sealed a berth in the women’s singles main draw of the US Open with a hard earned win over Columbia’s Catalina Castano in the qualifying event.
The unseeded Indian overcame a second set lapse to beat her rival 6—1 1—6 6—3 in the third and final round in one hour and 48 minutes here.
Sania saved four beakpoints and broke Catalina twice to race to a opening set lead. However, Catalina fought her way back by winning the second set, cashing in on both the break chances that came her way.
In the final set, Sania saved four breakpoints and broke Catalina twice to book herself a spot in the main draw.
It was for the first time since her breakthrough year in 2005 at Australian Open that Sania had to go through qualifiers to compete in a Grand Slam.
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Friday, 25 June 2010 |
 Sania Mirza slumped out of Wimbledon as Germany's Angelique Kerber claimed a 6-4, 6-1 win in the first round of the women's singles. Kerber was never troubled by Sania, who was left to rue her continued poor form. Mirza, who married Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik during her two-month break from the game, made the second round in the warm-up tournament in Birmingham, but failed to qualify for the final stages at Eastbourne.
On the other side, while Shoaib appealed and successfully got into the national team again after being banned for a year, he had a rather ordinary run in the Asia Cup. Playing for the Pakistan team after a hiatus, he put up an ordinary show at Asia Cup. He was played for two matches and notched up an average of 23.5, scoring a patient 39 against arch-rivals India. Nothing sterling, but maybe enough to keep him in hunt for a future place in the Pakistan cricket squad.
The Indian, ranked 113, played two tournaments in her build-up to Wimbledon and she was on the phone with her husband after every match. "After a loss I go very quiet, but he won't let it be which can be very irritating," Sania said with a laugh that brought the blush full-on. "I snap, but he keeps talking, trying to get me to talk. He's so patient, sickeningly patient. He tells me, I know you don't want to talk right now, but I'm not hanging up. He loves giving advice. |
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Thursday, 20 May 2010 |
 Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik and Indian tennis star Sania Mirza have been house-hunting in Dubai before their scheduled departure for their assignments.
Mirza also said her training is going on as planned and that her wrist is not hurting any more.
"I have always liked Dubai. It's like a home away from home for me. Right now we are looking at some houses before both of us leave for England for our respective assignments," Mirza said.
Mirza said the decision to settle in Dubai was more for the convenience of both rather than just trying to get away from the media glare.
"If you had asked me five years ago if I wanted to settle in Dubai, then I wouldn't have given it a thought. But life takes its turns and we have come up with a decision that's going to benefit both of us," she said
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Friday, 23 April 2010 |
 Newly wed tennis star Sania Mirza has said she will retain her maiden name and play for another three to four years.
In an interview to 'People' magazine along with husband and former Pakistan cricket
captain Shoaib Malik, Sania said, "no matter what happens I am always going to be Sania Mirza. Maybe later I'll add his name."
She said they have chosen Palm Jumeirah in Dubai as their new residence.
"My husband wants to live in Palm Jumeirah and I am not fussy, so that's where we live," says Sania.
The couple said their courtship developed over telephone after the first few meetings.
"Suddenly we were constantly texting and then we started talking on the phone for hours. So that's where things started for us," says Sania.
Sania said her mother would keep saying that she was wasting so much money on phone calls. "I would tell her that it's not a waste," the 23-year-old tennis star said.
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Thursday, 15 April 2010 |
 The sangeet ceremony of the newly-wed Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, who tied the knot with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik earlier in the week, was held at a hotel in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
Sania's outfit for the occasion was designed by Shantanu and Nikhil, while Shoaib's dress was gifted by his newly-wed wife's family members, the tennis player's spokesperson said.
The guests had a lively evening as some enthralling music was played out on the occasion. The menu for the evening included a lavish spread of about seven starters, a salad counter, a kebab corner, 10 main course dishes and six deserts, the spokesperson added. |
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Tuesday, 13 April 2010 |
 The 'Haq Mehr' kept in the Nikah ceremony performed between Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik on Monday was a staggering Rs 61 lakhs.
Shoaib's brother-in-law Imran Zafar told PTI that the marriage had been a simple one with only 15 relatives of Malik and around 35 members of Sania's family attending the ceremony at Hotel Taj Krishna.
Shoaib and Sania tied the nuptial knot after both the families advanced the high-profile marriage by three days after a tumultuous build up to the wedding.
"We kept it a simple affair. We are now relieved that marriage has finally taken place after so many controversies," Imran said.
"We had to obtain the photocopy of Shoaib's passport from the Hyderabad Police for the Nikah ceremony as his passport is still in the possession of a court," he said.
In the Muslim community, the wife is given a set financial sum at the time of the marriage, which is written down as a term of the 'Nikah' or marriage contract. This sum is known as 'Haq Mehr', and is intended to give the wife enough to survive on in the event of divorce or widowhood. |
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Monday, 12 April 2010 |
 Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza and Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik tied the knot on Monday, ending days of controversy and drama surrounding their high-profile wedding that took place three days ahead of the original schedule.
The 23-year-old Sania and 28-year-old Shoaib had originally planned to marry on April 15, but there was speculation that the date would be advanced after the tumultuous build-up.
"The nikaah is now completed. Please pray for the couple," Sania's spokesperson, Rucha Nayak, said in Hyderabad.
Decked in a red saree, which her mother Nasima wore for her nikaah 25 years ago, Sania thus became the second wife of the Pakistani cricketer, who divorced first wife Ayesha Siddiqui last week after much mud-slinging.
Shoaib, a former Pakistan captain, wore a black sherwani, designed by Shantanu and Nikhil, for the nikaah ceremony, held at hotel Taj Krishna.
The two families surprised everyone on Monday morning by announcing through the spokesperson that marriage has been advanced.
The mehandi ceremony is now scheduled for Tuesday, the sangeet will take place on April 14 and reception on April 15, as scheduled, the spokesperson added.
All the papers were in place before the arrival of the bride and groom, and the ceremony was over within five minutes. The Qutbah was read by the head Qazi. |
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Monday, 12 April 2010 |
In a surprising development Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik will get married on Monday in Hyderabad. The families of Sania and Shoaib made the surprise announcement on Monday morning, four days before the scheduled date.
"Sania and Shoaib marriage will take place today. We can't reveal time and venue of the marriage because of security reasons," said Sania's media coordinator Richa.
She also announced that the mehendi ceremony will take place on Tuesday in which Sania will wear her mother's 25-year-old sari. The marriage ceremony is likely to take place on Monday afternoon at Taj Krishna hotel in Hyderabad.
The two were earlier scheduled to get married on April 15. It is not known yet why the marriage date has been rescheduled for Monday. Sources say it may be on account of a fatwa issued by some ulemas (Muslim clerics) over why the two were already staying in the same house. |
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Wednesday, 07 April 2010 |
 In a dramatic turn around, Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik on Wednesday divorced Ayesha Siddiqui, the local girl whom he had married seven years ago, under a compromise worked out by Muslim community leaders paving the way for his marriage with Sania Mirza on April 15.
Under the compromise, Shoaib will pay Rs 15,000 as maintenance to Ayesha at the rate of Rs 5000 per month for three months as per Sharia (Islamic law), Shafi, Sania's uncle, announced at a joint press conference at the residence of Ayesha Siddiqui.
He also said all the police cases against Shoaib, who has been maintaining that there was no valid marriage with Ayesha, will be withdrawn and they have already filed an application with the police in this regard. Ayesha's mother Farisa and Abid Rasool Khan, General Secretary of Andhra Pradesh Congress and a well-wisher of both the families, were also present at the press conference. |
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