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Indian idol set to take Hong Kong by storm

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In her homeland, posters and pictures of Indian tennis prodigy Sania Mirza outsell even those of Bollywood superstars. With her talent, and a tendency to court controversy, the 19-year-old Muslim girl has become an Asian sporting hero.

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The teenager is sure to be a hit with fans when she competes in the star-studded Watsons Water Champions Challenge, which starts on Wednesday at Victoria Park.

The first Indian woman to win a professional singles title (her home event in Hyderabad earlier this year), Mirza said she receives a lot of support and enjoys being a role model.

'It's really nice to have people look up to you. It's great that people are taking up tennis and how little girls are attracted to it now,' she said.

'They get very excited back home to have a girl play tennis and do so well. I do receive a lot of support and I am very thankful to the people.'

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Her sudden rise to fame this year took many conservative Indians by surprise. Islamic radicals criticised her for advocating safe sex, and demanded she dress more modestly.

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