Monday, May 23 2005 20:37 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Still to achieve peak fitness, India's tennis sensation Sania Mirza has adopted a cautious outlook about her chances in the French Open being played in Paris.

The 18-year-old, who returned to competitive circuit after a six-week injury induced layoff at the Strasbourg Open last week, also knows that playing on the slow clay courts at the Rolland Garros was not her forte.

And to make matter's difficult for the first Indian woman to get a direct entry into the main draw of any Grand Slam event, Sania will be facing 30th-seed Gisela Dulko of Argentina, who is considered to be a clay court specialist.

"Clay is not my surface. So beating clay court specialist Dulko on her favourite surface will be a tough task but I'm ready to give it all I have," Sania told sources in New Delhi from Paris.

If the Indian manages to clear the first two hurdles she is likely to have a rematch with reigning US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, who she beat in the Dubai Open earlier this year, in the third round.

The former Junior Wimbledon Doubles Champion would also be competing in the doubles event and would partner Russia's Anna Chakvetadze.

The duo will face the pair of Kristina Brandi of Puerto Rico and Japan's Nana Miyagi in the first round.

Sania, who reached the quarterfinals of the doubles event at Strasbourg alongside Katrina Kachlikova of Slovakia, has played together with Anna in the junior circuit and the Indo-Russian pair had also reached the final of the Canadian Junior Open in 2003.