Mirza dressed for success

India’s Sania Mirza faces a triple challenge to reach the third round at Wimbledon: knock out a seed, beat one of her best mates and make sure she’s got enough clothes.

Mirza faces Romanian number 28 seed Sorana Cirstea in the second round just as soon as the pair work out whose kit is whose.

French Open quarter-finalist Cirstea had to sort out her friend with some spare clothes before Mirza beat Germany’s Anna-Lena Groenefeld 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.

“We are really good friends. We’re one of those very few who actually stay in touch even when we’re not on the tour,” Mirza told AFP.

“We were joking about it just before. I didn’t have any clothes and said ‘can you please give me some clothes to wear’.

“She said ‘yes, I’ll give it to you’. And I said ‘yes, but if you win and I win, I play you, I’ll need clothes as well!’. And she said ‘I’ll still give it to you!’.

Thankfully the pair have now sorted out enough outfits to see them both through Wednesday’s encounter.

“We both have enough kit now. I don’t need to borrow stuff from her now!” world number 85 Mirza said.

But joking aside, there will be no love lost when the pair clash on court.

“We’re both going to try our best, obviously. You have to make a conscious effort to put a line because you are friends,” the 22-year-old said, looking forward to the match.

“When you go on court you are just rivals and opponents and when you go off court you’re friends again.

“But we’re both professionals and we know where to draw the line. May the best player win.”

Though the pair are firm friends, they have never faced each other in a competitive match.

Mirza did not have the chance to check out Cirstea’s first round match as they were playing simultaneously on adjacent courts.

“We’ve never played against each other and we’ve practiced just once or twice together so it’s not like we know each other’s game inside out,” Mirza said.

“I watched her play at the French Open and she has been in great form.

LONDON, AFP

Sania Mirza

Country: India
Residence: Hyderabad, India
Date of birth: November 15, 1986
Height: 1.73 m
Weight: 57 kg
Turned pro: 2003
Plays Right: (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: US$ 1,435,879
Singles
Career record: 202–105(64.6%)
Career titles: 1 WTA, 12 ITF
Highest ranking: No. 27 (August 27, 2007)

Grand Slam results
Australian Open 3r (2005, 2008)
French Open 2r (2007)
Wimbledon 2r (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009)
US Open 4r (2005)

Doubles
Career record: 149–76
Career titles: 8 WTA, 4 ITF
Highest ranking: No. 18 (September 10, 2007)

Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open 3R (2007, 2008)
French Open 3R (2006)
Wimbledon QF (2008)
US Open QF (2007)
Medal record
Women’s Tennis
Asian Games
Gold 2006 Doha Mixed Doubles
Silver 2006 Doha Singles
Silver 2006 Doha Team

In 2004 she was awarded the Arjuna award by the Indian government.