Rediff

Hyderabad, Feb 4: Tired of being dragged into one controversy after another in the past few months, Sania Mirza  has decided against playing in India for now.

The tennis ace decided against entering next month's Bangalore Open, and cited the petty controversies that have dogged her in recent months as the reason for snubbing the event.

"I am not playing in Bangalore Open. I have been advised by my manager not to play (there) because a lot has been happening in the past few months," Sania told reporters in Hyderabad on Monday.

"Everytime I have played in India there has been some kind of problem. So we just thought it was better not to play this time," she added.

Ever since her breakthrough 2005 season, Sania has battled controversies ranging from her on-court attire being dubbed indecent by Islamic fundamentalists to the recent flag controversy during the Hopman Cup in December last year.

In fact, the off-court issues had shaken the world number 29 to such an extent that she even contemplated giving up the game altogether a few weeks before last month's Australian Open.

Meanwhile, the Open, beginning March 3, will have another added attraction, with Venus Williams confirming participation and joining her sister Serena.

The tournament will see the Williams sisters appearing together for the first time outside the Grand Slams.