From No.2 in the India under-12 group a couple of years ago to numero uno in the national under-14 category and No.10 in Asia, Sanjana Sirimalla has presented herself as the new ace on the Hyderabad women’s tennis scene.
A product of the Sun-Jay Tennis Academy, Sanjana has been making steady progress in the circuit.
Her two title wins in the recent Asian (under-14) singles in Bhilai and Delhi were clear hint of her abundant talent.
Buoyed by her recent success, a visibly elated Sanjana says, “This is something terrific and a huge morale-booster which will only make me set bigger goals,” says the eighth class student of Sri Sai Siddartha School in Srinagar Colony.
Always pushing the 5-feet, 7-inches tennis talent to dream big are her parents, Ajay Kumar and Deepika, who even gave up their house to raise funds to allow Sanjana to follow her passion.
“We will be obliged if some corporate groups come forward to help. She is producing the results now and needs better financial support to be able to compete in more tournaments, especially at International Tennis Federation events abroad,” Sanjana’s parents say.
For someone who started training at the age of nine, Sanjana has one of the best blends of forehand and backhand, says her coach M. Sanjay Kumar.
“Honestly, she is good in many aspects of the game and all she needs to focus more on are fast movements and fitness. Then she will become a much better player,” he adds.
Interestingly, the Sun-Jay academy has the distinction of producing 15 India champions in the past 17 years.
