Success, injuries, controversies, acclaim. Sania Mirza had her hands full in a year that saw her climb to a career-high of 27.
After a disappointing 2006, Sania came back fitter, stronger, and better-prepared.
She started the year with a blazing run at the Hopman Cup, and, in Rohan Bopanna's company, helped India beat higher-ranked teams like Croatia and the Czech Republic.
Just when her fortunes started to turn on the WTA charts, injury struck, and she was confined to a wheelchair with a knee injury.
With the demanding clay season ahead, the 21 year old got back to her feet just in time. Her return to the circuit after almost three months wasn't promising as she crashed out in the first round in Morocco. But Sania added mettle to her credentials as she won the first round at the French Open, breaking the Parisian jinx that most Indians have found impossible to shake off.
After crashing out in the second round to Russia's Nadia Petrova at Wimbledon, Sania truly gathered steam on the hard courts in the US, in the run-up to the year's final Grand Slam.
Seen before as a talented player who somehow couldn't put it together against the bigger names, Sania produced a streak of upsets that had the tennis world take notice.
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Tatiana Golovin, Patty Schnyder, Shahar Peer, Dinara Safina, Martina Hingis. All ranked in the top 25, all falling to the Indian's new-found tenacity. Sania later admitted that winning against defensive players like Peer and Schnyder was an indicator that her performance is 'maturing.'
Despite making three semi-finals and one final in the year, she was unable to claim a title that has eluded her since her home triumph at the 2005 Hyderabad Open.
Post-US Open, her results showed a clear decline -- losing in the quarter-finals at the Japan Open and first-round exits in Moscow and Zurich. Another injury -- the wrist this time -- saw her bring an early end to the season.
The brief sabbatical from tennis didn't keep her off the front pages though. The rumour mills grinded into action as soon as she mentioned Shoaib Akhtar as one of her favourite Pakistani cricketers. She was also linked with a Pakistani tennis player and a Bollywood actor, as the focus shifted away from the courts.
Decemeber saw Sania in trouble when she shot advertisements on the premises of Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid. Cases were filed before she apologised.
Being a star is not new for Sania, but she is beginning to understand the consequences of stardom.
Photograph: Deskalyan Chowdhury/AFP/Getty Images
Also read: 'Sania has the right material to reach the top'
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