Huber at Netaji Indoor Stadium on Friday

Calcutta: Liezel Huber is in the city to participate in the Sunfeast Open. Apart from the fact that she was, at one time, world No. 4 in doubles (she is currently No. 21), a major reason for India’s interest in her is, of course, her current doubles partner, Sania Mirza.

Sania and Liezel have won two doubles titles together — at the Hyderabad Open in 2004 and the Bangalore Open earlier this year. The duo also made the finals in Amelia Island this year.

Inevitably, thus, the first question to her is about Sania. “Our games are very compatible and we complement each other perfectly on court. She has one of the best forehands in the game, so I ask her to keep hitting,” said the 30-year-old South African.

And what about Sania as a person? “Sania and I are good friends,” Liezel told The Telegraph. “Tennis is a very competitive sport where you just walk away after playing each other, a place where it is difficult to make friends.

“In such a scenario, I can confidently say that Sania and I will always be friends. Guess that says a lot about her character.”

Huber, who has 14 WTA doubles titles to her credit (including a Grand Slam at Wimbledon with Cara Black last year) has won a doubles title at Strausbourg with Martina Navratilova this year. Liezel is ecstatic in her praise of Navratilova: “A great champion, it was an honour to play with her. Yes, she was very emotional in her last year on the circuit. I personally felt she should have stopped earlier. Her body was just not holding up any more.

“But it sure did end perfectly (with Navratilova winning the mixed doubles title at the US Open with Bob Bryan). What more could anyone ask for?”

And now about ‘Liezel’s Cause’, the charity which is Liezel’s major pre-occupation these days. It started quite by chance. Shortly after her Big W victory, Liezel was at her home in Houston when Hurricane Katrina devastated the coastlines of Alabama, Mississipi and Louisiana, causing over $275 billion worth of damage and claiming thousands. But the worst havoc was wrecked in New Orleans. News and TV footage spurred Liezel into action (“I was at the right place at the wrong time,” she said).

She sent out e-mails to friends all over and swung into action. She had initially decided to help out a family of eight. But within a short time she had raised $40,000 and started on her process of helping 21 families — a process that is still on for she has decided to continue to support these families till they are totally rehabilitated.

“I knew I had to do a good job because here I was dealing with other people’s money. To say that it was rewarding is to say the least. Navaratilova was my biggest support in this mission. Capriati too sent a cheque, as did Billie Jean King, Lisa Raymond, Nathalie Dechy and so many others.

“Sania, too, had asked me in what way she could contribute to my cause. I’d told her that if there was a cause in her hometown, she should help out there.”

This of course, brings up the Missionaries of Charity which she visited (along with other players, including Martina Hingis) on Tuesday.

Liezel, who plans to adopt children sometime in the future, was extremely impressed with what she saw. “It was so clean… not what I had expected at all, kids have education, food… other orphanages would be jealous of them… It was so sad yet so beautiful,” said a visibly moved Liezel, who is in the process of building a free school in Durban.

Do all these activities need her to compromise on her tennis, considering that she is also a member of the WTA Tour Players’ committee? “Thankfully, my tennis does not keep me occupied all day. And I also need to always stay busy,” said Liezel.

Injuries have cost Liezel dear, having kept her out for months. She had to undergo a knee reconstruction surgery last August. Had it not been for it, she would have reached world No. 1 last year. She hopes to end the year in the top-ten, but has her sights firmly set on the No.1 spot where she feels she belongs.