India's tennis superstar

"There is no privacy and I would rather not have a security guard look at me 12 hours a day.

"It is tough and it gets to you sometimes, but I think when you come into a sport like this it's very demanding physically and mentally.

"I never thought I would reach this level so fast in my life, and the amount of fame and adulation that I get in India is immense."

Mirza, who was once offered sponsorship deals with 18 different companies in the space of a week, is rewriting the record books in India almost every time she sets foot on court.

In January, she became the first Indian woman to reach the third round of a grand slam before losing to Serena Williams in the last 32 of the Australian Open.

A month later Mirza won her first WTA title - something no other Indian has achieved, and in March she claimed her first significant scalp by defeating Kuznetsova in straight sets in Dubai.

The latter result suggests the young Indian enjoys a psychological edge ahead of today's clash.

"That [victory] doesn't mean too much," said Mirza. "Maybe it does mentally a little bit for me and for her, but it just depends how you feel on the day.

"All my aim was when I came here was to try and get the feel of the courts and try and win my firstround match, and I did that.

"Now I just want to do my best today - I have nothing to lose out there."

Mirza already has her name engraved on the roll of honour at Wimbledon. Two years ago, she won the junior doubles title, an achievement that she recalls with great pride. It also helps to explain why she enjoys playing at the All England Club so much, grass being her favourite surface.

She added: "Wimbledon has fascinatedme for a very long time - the white clothes and the green grass, everything is very serene here."

However, it was the clay courts in India that Mirza noticed on the way to swimming practice that did most to launch her now burgeoning career.

"I used to go swimming but passed a tennis court every day," said Mirza.

"My dad says I just got lazy about going to the pool one day [when I took up tennis]. But I started like any six-year-old playing a sport and it became serious.

"The coach at the tennis court said to my parents 'maybe you should come and see her because I've never seen a six-year-old hit a ball like that'."

Since then Mirza has continued to progress and, having broken into the top 100 quicker than expected, she already has her sights on a place in the top 50.

But the teenager is anxious for more than personal success; she also wants to influence her female compatriots to buck the trend and pick up a racket too.

"I hope that a lot more people believe now that they can do it coming from India," said Mirza.

"We've had a lot of men players but not too many women players. Probably some of the girls didn't have the proper facilities or got married early. Others perhaps didn't have the financial support.

"Fortunately I got my sponsor at the right time and I needed them."

There is no doubt whose need is greater now.