India's tennis sensation Sania Mirza is now officially the best newcomer on the WTA Tour in 2005. Nineteen-year-old Mirza was honoured with the best debutant award she was honoured for being the best debutant last year. Sania had a remarkable year as she became the first ever Indian singles winner on the WTA Tour when she won the Hyderabad Open. She then beat two top 10 players on the way to her career best ranking of 31, after being 163 at the start of the year. Sania received the award at the second annual joint ATP and Sony Ericsson WTA Awards ceremony last night in Miami, Florida.

Mirza enjoyed a breakout season in 2005, capturing her first WTA title in Hyderabad and reaching the fourth round of the U.S. Open before succumbing to Russia's Maria Sharapova. But her results in 2006 have been poor. She has won just three singles matches in five events since the turn of the year slipping from a career-high ranking of 31 at the end of 2005 to 45th. Under the tutelage of Roger Federer's coach Tony Roche, Mirza has changed her service action and believes she's making progress. Off court, however, the Indian teenager has plenty to talk about. Mirza has already had a taste of the celebrity that surrounds tennis greats, despite her achievement being no match for what the top names in the tennis circuit boast off.

That she was the first Indian woman to accomplish either feat has sent her popularity soaring among her one billion compatriots. In just one year, she has become a sporting idol, a fashion icon and, like Maria Sharapova, needs her own entourage of burly security guards whenever she steps out from home.

Roger Federer and US Open Champion Kim Clijsters were named the 2005 Players of the Year and also won the Fans’ Favourite Award. Federer’s fellow players also voted him the Stefan Edberg Sportsman of the Year for the second straight year. Clijsters, who rose to number 2 in the WTA rankings after a wrist injury sidelined her for most of 2004, picked up four awards in all. This included the Comeback Player of the Year by the media and the Karen Krantzcke Sportsmanship award. Sixteen different players were honoured with 21 awards.

Release Source : www.c2b2bnews.com

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