Mumbai-born Sania Mirza recalls her debut on Centre Court as a dream come true.
What I love about Wimbledon: "As a kid, you always think and dream about playing Wimbledon one day. Even though all the Grand Slams are equal, Wimbledon is special and it has its own charm because of the green grass and the white clothes and the strawberries and cream. I feel really blessed to have been able to play there and perform there."
My advice for a young boy or girl who dreams of playing at Wimbledon: "You have to work hard and believe in yourself. That advice is especially for girls, and for girls in my side of the world, as they go through a lot of other issues, and not just having to work hard on the court, but off the court as well, dealing with culture issues, and stuff like that. But you have to believe in yourself and your abilities. There is no short cut - you do have to work hard."
The most important shot at Wimbledon: "The slice really does work, and it's something that the juniors don't really work on. I remember coaches thinking that we were fooling around if we played a slice shot. It's an important shot as it keeps the ball low."
... it was just amazing to be on Centre Court for the first time
The number of bowls of strawberries and cream I would expect to eat during The Championships: "During the tournament, not so many, but I do catch up after I'm done. If I had too many during the tournament, I wouldn't be able to move on the court."
Three words that I would use to describe the crowds at Wimbledon: "Sophisticated, yet loud."
I would queue overnight to watch this match on Centre Court: "I would like to see Roger Federer against Pete Sampras."
Henman Hill or Murray Mount? "I think it can be both. I think people don't give enough credit to Tim Henman for what he did - he played in the semi-finals a bunch of times, and he came close. Tim was the pioneer with the whole Hill thing. They should share it."
My tips for a fan attending Wimbledon for the first time: "Carry an umbrella, a jacket and some sunscreen. Then you're okay for all types of weather."
My favourite outside court: "I like Court 2."
My Wimbledon highlight: "When I played on Centre Court against Kuznetsova. For me, that was huge. I had always dreamed of playing on Centre Court. I lost, but it was just amazing to be on Centre Court for the first time."
My first memory of watching Wimbledon: "I remember watching Conchita Martinez play against Steffi Graf. I was in Bangalore."
See Sania Mirza's full profile at wimbledon.com
