I am focusing on Australian open: Sania Mirza

Mumbai: Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza has started preparations for the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the season 2012, but remains cautious as she makes a comeback to competitive tennis following a knee surgery. “I am focusing on Australian Open and preparing hard for it. There is a lot of time to go for the event and anything can happen in between,” Sania said at an interactive session organised by Forum of Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC) here. Australian Open will begin on 16 January, 2012. Sania had missed the post US Open season this year due to a knee injury and underwent a surgery in her left knee. Recently she resumed practice in New Delhi. Questions were asked about various controversies surrounding her career and her personal life also but Sania said she is now used to it and replied confidently. [caption id=“attachment_160286” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Getty Images”]  [/caption] “I never paid attention to the opinions of the people. They have opinions and I do have mine. I have never responded to the controversies on what I wear, whom I marry and what I talk about and hence, why should it matter?,” she retorted. Asked about her marriage with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, she said, “It’s about two people getting married irrespective of the nationality. Why should nationality come in between? I was asked if this would improve the political relations between the two countries and I did not see any sense in such questions.” “There have been good and bad experiences but because I have been seeing the media glamour from very early age, I have grown up to accept it.” PTI