By Grand Slam

NEW DELHI, October 8 (www.dsclopentennis.com) - At 16 years of age, Sanaa Bhambri is all set to emulate Uzma Khan's feat of winning two singles titles in one edition of the National Open championships. The venue and the settings are almost identical so when Delhi's Sanaa steps out on court on Saturday at the DSCL Open, the left-hander will have no doubt in her mind she can actually win the under-18 and ladies singles titles.

It is a piquant situation for Sanaa. Last year, she lost to Punam Reddy in the under-18 semifinal and then had to shake hands with elder sister Ankita at the net after going down in the ladies final.

This time around, however, there is no talk of sibling rivalry as Ankita is injured. If anything, Sanaa's motivation to sweep both finals has to be higher, even though conditions have not been very kind. One expected the humidity level to be low at this time of the year. But thanks to sharp showers just one evening last Saturday, it is soaring and players like Sanaa have had to cope with it in the right spirit.

Those who have been watching Sanaa over the years will agree on one thing, even when she was younger, shorter and thinner, she would keep the ball in play even against tougher opponents. The difference now is Sanaa can not only keep hitting the ball, she is smarter and capable of executing all the variations you would expect from a 16-year-old.

Last year, when Sanaa was chosen for the Grand Slam summer tour in Europe with Sania Mirza for company, a few felt she was being given too much exposure. But then, the Delhi girl showed she had it in her to do well at least in doubles as she made it to the French Open girls' semi-finals with Sania.

Doubting Thomasses will ask for sure if Sanaa have made so much progress in the ladies section had Sai Jayalakhsmy and Rushmi Chakrvarthy turned up this time, would? Let me assure you, Sanaa has never feared competing against bigger players - in size and stature.

If one were to compare Sanaa with Uzma, it would be very tough. Uzma was a right-hander whose forte was consistency in her groundstrokes, even though her serve was average. In contrast, Sanaa may not impart the same power, but she does have the ability to find the sharp angles and make subtle changes to unsettle her opponent.

Sanaa had a best ITF junior ranking of 49 last year and this year went up to 37. She still has two clear years ahead of her in the junior section as far as competing in Grand Slams is concerned. But the real situation is she can actually start preparing for the tougher climb up if she gets proper support.

Success stories in Indian tennis have revolved around parents rallying behind the kids. In Sanaa's case, the rise to such a level has been even more pronounced simply because Delhi lacks a tennis culture despite boasting of the best facilities.

Winning a double in singles at the DSCL Open is bound to motivate her further. Be sure, Sanaa is going to be around for a long, long time and we will get to hear a lot more about her.