GUANGZHOU - After bouncing back to snatch a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games, Indian tennis player Sania Mirza refuted rumors she would quit tennis within two years to concentrate on her recent "celebrity" marriage.

"I am really happy after marriage," said Mirza, who wed Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik in April.

"A lot of Chinese players are married and they are still playing. I think it's really good to have your husband, a person who loves you, behind you."

The pair was in constant contact until Malik left Guangzhou earlier this week. After he left, Mirza breezed into the quarterfinals of the women's singles by thumping China's Zhang Shuai, 6-2, 6-2, on Friday.

"I played really well and I didn't allow her to play," said Mirza. "I lost to her six weeks ago at the WTA tour event in Guangzhou, so I knew she was good and I had to play well to beat her."

Mirza won the bronze medal in mixed doubles eight years ago at the Busan Games, which was her first Asian Game medal, and followed that with a gold in Doha. She also eliminated China's Li Na in the semifinals of the women's single four years ago, but was upset by Zheng Jie in the final.

"My goal is trying to focus on every match and win them (at the Guangzhou Asian Games)," she said. "It's not easy, but I will try to win a medal for my country.

"Asian tennis has developed a lot over the past four years, it has got a lot better and China has a lot of players like Zhang Shuai. She was not highly ranked four years ago, but today she is in the top 100," said Mirza, whose ranking has slipped from 27 to 136.

"I have been injured for at least five months of this year, so I couldn't play," said Mirza, who is still looking for a top-20 ranking in the world.

"That's my goal. I'll work as hard as I can to get there."

China Daily

(China Daily 11/20/2010)