WIMBLEDON

June 22, 2005

Sania Mirza

THE MODERATOR: Sania Mirza for you.

SANIA MIRZA: Great. I think it's everyone's dream to play on Centre Court. First time Wimbledon, playing on Centre, I was -- you know, I loved it. It was great.

SANIA MIRZA: Oh, no. I have played in big crowds before. But still I was -- to be honest, I was a bit nervous before. It was Wimbledon Centre Court, you know, it wasn't any other Centre Court. I guess when you're out there, you just forget whatever, you forget what's around you. You just want to go out there and win. That didn't happen today. It was very close, but that's all right.

SANIA MIRZA: I don't think anything went wrong. I think what separated us today was that volley she made at breakpoint at 5-4. That was one amazing volley she made. Credit to her for that. I think that's where I just lost out on that point in the third set. I still don't think anything went wrong. 5-2 down, I came back 5-4. Could have gone any way, even at 5-4.

SANIA MIRZA: No. I mean, I lost the match, whatever it was. Even if I played the best tennis of my life, I still lost the match. I still think when I played her in Dubai, that was the best match of my career because I won it.

SANIA MIRZA: Yes. I've been having that for a while now. I mean, it started just before French Open. But I've been playing with it. After the taping, it's pretty okay.

SANIA MIRZA: Yes. I have a pull -- not a pull, it's a tear. It's a lower abdominal.

SANIA MIRZA: No. You know, I loved playing out there today. I love playing with the crowd. I love playing for the crowd. I loved every second I was out there. I want to get the feel of every second, every ball I was hitting. I was enjoying everything out there. Last night, before sleeping, I was just think that I'm on Centre Court. I knew I was going to be on a show court. I really didn't think it was going to be Centre. I saw the schedule, I saw I was on Centre. Just before sleeping, I couldn't sleep for about an hour last night. I was thinking about the Centre Court. I wasn't scared of who I was playing or what I was playing. I was just scared that I was playing on Centre at Wimbledon second round.

SANIA MIRZA: You always have dreams. When you start playing tennis, you always dream that you're going to play Wimbledon Centre Court one day. That dream came true for me very early in my life. But I hope it's going to be -- I'll have many more Centre Court matches to play. I hope I'll be here second Saturday on Centre Court.

SANIA MIRZA: I keep doing that. I keep talking. I talk a lot to myself. It's a habit now. I talk to myself even when I'm not on court any more (laughter).

SANIA MIRZA: I just tell myself to keep cool. I just keep talking to myself a lot. There are certain things that I say to myself which keep me calm. I still lost my temper once out there. It was a great match.

SANIA MIRZA: Well, it has to be at the back of her mind that I had beaten her before. She was ready for it. You could see, whatever my ranking is, whatever her ranking is, I think she was ready from the start. She knew I could come back and I knew she could always come back. When I went out there, I didn't think that I had beaten her in Dubai or anything like that. Every day is a different day. It just depends on how you play on that particular day. Today I think we matched each other point to point except for that one point where she made the exceptionally good volley.

SANIA MIRZA: I think she won it. I gave what I had out there today. I was on top of every ball. Everything I could do, I tried to do. I think she just won it. It was very close. I think I'm going to feel bad about it for a long time. You know, there's nothing I can do about it. I think it's a very memorable match for me.

SANIA MIRZA: Well, I just started -- I started when I was six. I used to go swimming. I used to pass a tennis court every day. There were six-year-olds playing tennis. Just picked up a racquet on my summer holidays. After that the coach called my parents up a month later, said, "You should come watch her maybe because I've never seen a six-year-old hit a ball like that." You know, my parents came. It just kept happening. Things kept falling in place. Not like we decided one day that we're going to be a professional. It just kept happening. I started playing tournaments. That's how it all began.

SANIA MIRZA: It was at home.

SANIA MIRZA: Yes.

SANIA MIRZA: My phone hasn't stopped buzzing since then. I got a lot of messages saying, "Even though you lost, you won the match." The thing is that I lost the match. I don't know how their reaction is going to be, to be honest. I don't know what people expect from me. There are a lot of people who don't know tennis. There are a lot of people who know tennis. People who know tennis watch the match and know that I did give my best and I did try whatever I had. I mean, I really have no idea how it's going to be.

SANIA MIRZA: When I was on court today, I wasn't thinking about it. When you go on court, you just want to focus on that ball and on that opponent. You don't care what people think or what people expect or what people want. I know I'm playing for myself, my country, and I'm winning. I'm representing my country. You know, that's all that matters for me.

SANIA MIRZA: They're all very different. You know, Australia, I was a wildcard. Coming to the third round, playing at the Vodafone against Serena, I was very nervous then. I think that's one of the reasons why I was less nervous today because I had played -- I was in a similar situation like I was in Australia. It was very different. I mean, third round Australia, winning Hyderabad in front of everyone out there, I think there was everyone there to support me, my family, my friends, my fans. You know, that was something that I will never forget, my first WTA title. Of course, today, you know, I just hope -- I mean, I wish I could have converted this, too. But I played a great match. I have no bad feelings.

SANIA MIRZA: "Damn it!" No, I mean, after that volley she deserved to win. She got that volley out at such a point, that I couldn't do anything about it. She hit three great serves at deuce, advantage, deuce, advantage.

SANIA MIRZA: I mean, I played a great match. There's no doubt about that. I've given what I had. Too bad I didn't win. That's the way it is. Not you, not me can change it. I just hope that it's a very good learning experience for me. I know there's a few things I did wrong, a few things I did very right. But I just have to grow as a tennis player and hopefully I'll have many more big matches like this.

SANIA MIRZA: Of course. I mean, you know, yeah. I really didn't think so much was going to happen so soon. But I'm loving every moment of it. I'm living every moment of it. I enjoy every moment. It all started from Australia. Actually, before Australia I played a tournament. I lost in the quallies, I lost in the second round. It's all fallen in place. Yeah, it is like a dream come true for me. But I'm definitely not satisfied with what I've got. I want to be up there.