Monday, April 11 2005 14:48 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Teen star Sania Mirza is unlikely to play in the Fed Cup women's tennis tournament beginning in New Delhi next week, as the World No 75 is still recuperating from an ankle injury.

The Hyderabad star, who last played in a Womens Tennis Association (WTA) tournament in Florida in March, will definitely travel to Delhi, where she will consult doctors and get their advice before taking a final decision.

Sania, who has not taken the racket for the last three weeks since her first round defeat in Florida, has been advised rest by doctors till she gets fully fit.

Doctors have now detected some fluid accumulation in her left ankle. It was first found in USA by the tournament doctor in Miami and was later confirmed by experts in Hyderabad.

"I have my doubts but she is definitely coming to Delhi and if fit she will play. It all depends on the doctors' advice," her father Imran Mirza said.

Sania might have a check up in the capital on April 17 to assess her fitness before the start of the tournament.

India is in Group 1 of the Asia Oceania Fed Cup along with seven other nations. The top two teams from the group will advance to the play-off round to fight for a place in the World Group. Group I matches are scheduled to begin on April 20.

What seemed like a minor injury, which Sania first suffered during practice in Australia two weeks before the start of the year's first Grand Slam in January continued to trouble her all through, as she repeatedly hurt the ankle while playing in the circuit.

Sania, who got a wild card to play in the Australian Open, carried on with her injury to win two rounds before losing to eventual winner Serena Williams. Next was the Hyderabad Open, which saw Sania winning her first WTA Tour title.

The unbelievable string of victories continued at the Dubai Open where she ousted US Open Champion Svetlena Kuznetsova before bowing out in the next round.