Former India Davis Cup player Enrico Piperno on Wednesday said Sania Mirza's game has been understood by her rivals after one year on the circuit and the Hyderabad tennis sensation needs to evolve new plans to continue her progress in the women's game at the international level.
"Sania Mirza is a very confident player which I realised four years ago at Busan Asian Games itself when she was unfazed before taking on her rival Janet Lee, who was 55th in world rankings as compared to Sania at well beyond 600," said the Indian women's Fed Cup coach.
"I feel she has the potential to climb into the top 20, but as has been pointed out by Vijay Amritraj she has chinks in her armour, one of which is her instinctive style of play, like Leander Paes, that has been understood by her rivals and their coaches," Piperno said at a sports seminar organised by the Sports Journalists' Federation of India (SJFI) in Mumbai.
Praising the power generated by the Hyderabad lass on her strong suit, forehand, Piperno also pointed out the fact that she needs to improve her serve and become quicker on the court in order to face stronger rivals across the net.
"It was seen in the Fed Cup tie against Australia [the qualifiers for the World Group] in the crucial deciding clash when her rival attacked her backhand constantly and Sania could not run around and hit forehands as she would have wanted," Piperno added.
"One year on the circuit, and all the coaches have figured her [Sania] out. She has been found wanting [in some aspects]. She now needs a senior coach to iron out her deficiencies," Piperno said.
Piperno, however, praised the Indian girl who became the first from the country to win a WTA event in Hyderabad last year.
"Even as a 14-year-old she had tremendous confidence. I once stood across the net when she was very young to play volleys against her and that night my wrist felt sore.
"That was the kind of power she generated on her forehand. I told Mahesh Bhupathi one week later that she hits forehands which were more powerful than his own and he was a bit upset.
"She is also a tremendous team member and during the Fed Cup tie, when she could not play because her ankle was strapped up, she was there right throught to cheer her teammates," Piperno said.
"I wish she makes it to the top ten and even goes on to win Grand Slam events," he added.
Harping on men's tennis, Piperno noted that the advent of graphite rackets has changed the game and the Indian players, currently, are unable to match their stronger rivals because they are not physically as powerfully built or as fit as their opponents.
"The awakening has happened and youngsters in the tennis academies are nowadays made to undergo strong physical fitness regimen. The result would be known in four or five years from now," the Kolkata-based Piperno predicted.
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