Sania admitted to hospital, out of action for four weeks

Hyderabad, Mar 3 (UNI) Sania Mirza was today admitted at the Apollo Hospital here for treatment of her injured knee and she will be kept under medical observation for a couple of days, though her father said the injury was minor.

Doctors attending to her said she will be out of action for at least four weeks which meant she will not take part in the Pacific Open WTA tournament which begins at Indiana Wells, USA, on March 5.

Sania sustained the injury during her first round match in the Qatar Open on Monday and was brought to the hospital today with pain and swelling in the knee joint.

Speaking to mediaperosns, senior Orthopaedic Surgeon Dr KJ Reddy and Apollo Hospital CEO Dr Hari Prasad said, ''An MRI scan revealed anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and needs further evaluation.'' Dr Reddy said Sania was initially examined under anaesthesia which confirmed the possibility of an ACL injury and arthroscopy test later revealed a stretched ACL in her knee.

He added that the ligament was assessed to check its functionality and it was found to be adequate.

''Though she will be discharged in a couple of days, we have recommended her intense physiotherapy and rehabilitation and her condition will be reviewed after four weeks,'' Dr Reddy said.

Meanwhile, Sania's father Imran Mirza said that the injury was not a major one because she maintained 'good fitness level' under South African trainer Heath Mathews and in all probability she might play in the WTA event at Morroco before the French Open.

UNI