Dubai, February 16: India’s Sania Mirza lost 6-3 6-4 to Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues in the Dubai Championships first round on Monday and then spoke of worries over a recurring injury to her right wrist.
The unseeded Mirza, who had wrist surgery in 2008, needed treatment during her defeat by Garrigues.
“When something that was a career-threatening injury … starts to come back you obviously start having a lot of thoughts in the middle of the match,” she told reporters.
“It hurts when I stretch out for a forehand. It hurts when I try to hit a hard backhand crosscourt.
“I was thinking in the match, ‘What am I going to do? Do I play in Malaysia (next week)? Do I go back home? Do I see my doctor?’ All these things are going on in your head.”
Israel’s Shahar Peer, at the centre of controversy a year ago when she was refused entry to Dubai, beat 13th-seeded Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 3-6 6-2 7-5 in an incident-free match.
“I think the treatment I get from the people here is amazing … including security,” said Peer. “They are really kind, they are doing everything for me.
“I really wanted to win this match, not only because of tennis but to make a statement that politics and sport should not be involved. There is no place for that for me.”
—–Agencies