Tennis star Sania Mirza bows to protests

The Indian tennis player Sania Mirza, in constant trouble with Muslim extremists for wearing short skirts on court, has decided not to compete with the likes of Venus and Serena Williams in next month's Bangalore Open. The 21-year-old has pulled out of the tournament - and may boycott all future Indian fixtures - because "every time I play in India there has been some kind of problem".

Mirza, the first Indian girl to find any real success in world tennis, is currently ranked Number 29. She said she had taken the decision on the advice of her manager and mixed doubles partner, Mahesh Bhupathi. "I have gone through great lows in the last few weeks," she said from her home in Hyderabad. "It has been difficult to try and stay focused."

Mirza's Muslim faith has made her a target for fundamentalists ever since her breakthrough season in 2005 when she became the first Indian to win a WTA Tour event. She has since made sure to wear shorts not a skirt when playing in India, but that is not the only problem. She also has to constantly reaffirm her patriotism.

The Rahul and Priyanka Youth Brigade in Hyderabad organised protests after alleging that she had posed for an advert for a shoe company with a guitar painted in the three colours of India’s national flag. Her foot was considered to be placed too close to the instrument, a sign of utter disrespect, the brigade charged. She has since been summoned by a court in Bhopal after allegedly showing disrespect to the Indian flag, punishable by a jail sentence if proved.