Injuries behind, Sania makes a winning start in French Open

Putting her injury woes behind, Indian tennis star Sania Mirza made a bright start to French Open on Monday with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Germany’s Kristina Barrois in the first round of women’s singles here.

World No. 72 Sania, who missed most of last year’s action due to a career-threatening wrist injury, will now meet the winner of the match between Polish 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska and Patricia Mayr-Achleitner of Austria.

The 24-year-old Sania, who got married to former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik, said it was great to make a winning come-back after being written off.

“Last year I was out for five and a half months. Forget people writing me off, the doctors said I’d probably never be able to play again because the extent of the injury was so bad,” she said.

Saina said making a winning start after coming over a phase that made her think that her career was over made it special.

“For me to be competing again, when I thought I’d never be playing tennis again… Winning is a bonus. Just competing at this level again and to know that I still belong here, I feel really happy. I love playing tennis and I enjoy competing. I missed coming here,” she said.

“It’s about the tennis for me. For a tennis player, when you pick up a tennis racquet, you want to play Slams. I was written off, I’d dropped outside 150. At the start of the year I was 160, I think, and my goal was to be in the main draw at the French Open, so I’ve achieved one goal so far.”