Russia may now have several Grand Slam Champions and China may already have 6 women in the top 100 of the Sony Ericsson WTA rankings, but I think India will make a move in the next few years as well.  Nineteen year old Sania Mirza burst on the tennis scene last year vaulting from number 326 to a career-high ranking of 31.  Mirza is a talented all-court player who has won both singles and doubles titles on the Sony Ericsson tour.  Sania is the most popular female athlete in India and has received tons of media attention.  Mirza has been criticized by some Muslim clerics for her skimpy tennis attire and public comments.  At the same time, Mirza is trying to use her popularity to support social causes in India, such as the fight against the illegal abortion of female fetuses.  India has a long tradition of tennis success on the men’s tour with the Amritraj brothers Vijay, Ashok and Anand, as well as Ramesh Krishnan.  In the past decade, Leander Paes, a Bronze Medalist in singles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, and Mahesh Bhupathi have had a lot of success in doubles, capturing several Grand Slam titles together and with other partners as well.  If Sania Mirza can handle the pressure of fame and continue to improve, then she has the talent to make her mark on the game and inspire legions of Indian girls to follow in her footsteps…