Tuesday, May 10 2005 20:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi:: Sania Mirza will be looking to get back to winning ways ahead of the French Open when she returns to the court from a six-week injury lay off at the $ 170,000 WTA Tour event in Strasbourg, France, next week.

The 18-year-old Hyderabadi girl, currently training in Italy under renowned coach Bob Brett, said she needed to get as many matches as possible under her belt before entering the clay court Grand Slam in Paris beginning on May 23.

"I am coming back from an injury, so I need to play as many matches as possible and test the ankle first," Sania said today (May 10, 2005).

"Of course I enter every tournament to win, but this time first I have to know about my ankle," said Sania, who has a direct entry at Roland Garros.

The slippery clay courts would make the task all the more tough for the first Indian to win a WTA title.

Sania, ranked 72nd on the WTA Tour list, will be leaving for France on Friday as she has to go through the qualifying rounds of the Strasbourg Open, the main draw of which starts on Monday.

The 2003 Wimbledon junior doubles champion said her fitness was good but has yet to reach the peak level.

"I have been working steadily. Fitness wise I am all right, but I am not stressing my ankle too much.

"It has been three hours of play and two hours of physical (programme at the academy). When I say physical, I mean it does not affect the ankle," said Sania whose last match was the first round at the 3.1 million-dollar Tier 1 event at Miami, USA in March.