Sports Shorts: Sania Mirza zooms to career-best ranking in doubles

India's tennis ace Sania Mirza rose to a career-best ranking of World No 6 in doubles in the new tennis rankings released on Monday.

Courtesy a quarter-finals appearance at the Roland Garros, Sania earned 430 ranking points along with partner Cara Black to jump eight places in the ranking charts.

Sania and Cara had lost to eventual champions Shuai Peng and Su-Wei Hsieh.

"When I started the season this year in January, one of my goals was to better my career-best world ranking. I am happy to have achieved this today," Sania said from Birmingham, where she is gearing up for the grass court season, leading to Wimbledon championships.

Sania's father and coach Imran Mirza said, "Sania has played very consistently this season and has been rewarded. I believe she has the potential to go further."

India's number one singles player Ankita Raina also achieved her career-best rank, 262, with a jump of 28 places. Ankita had ended runner-up at a $25,000 event in Indonesia to earn 30 points.

In the ATP rankings, Somdev Devvarman dropped out of the top-100 as he lot 23 places to be 119 in the singles chart. He had made a first round exit at the French Open.

In the doubles, out of action Leander Paes continued to be the highest ranked player at number 13. Rohan Bopanna was next best at number 17.

British tennis star Andy Murray, a Scot who has so far refused to be drawn on his views about Scottish independence, said he disliked a stunt by nationalist leader Alex Salmond who waved the Scottish flag after Murray's Wimbledon victory last year.

Murray, who became the first Briton in 77 years to win the men's singles title at Wimbledon, was asked in an interview what he thought of Scotland's First Minister Salmond.

"He seemed nice perfectly nice to me, but I didn't like it when he got the Scottish flag up at Wimbledon," Murray, who was born in Scotland, told the Sunday Times Style magazine.

Salmond held up Scotland's blue and white flag, the Saltire, behind British Prime Minister David Cameron's head as the crowd celebrated Murray's historic Wimbledon victory last July.

"I started competing for Great Britain when I was 11. A lot of people forget that," said Murray, who is ranked as the world's No. 5 tennis player.

Murray has so far kept out of the debate on whether Scotland should leave the United Kingdom. Scots vote on Sept. 18 on whether to declare independence.

He told the Sunday Times that he didn't know who he would play for should the United Kingdom split.

Murray has tried not to air any political views after being slated before the 2006 World Cup when he said he'd support anyone but England, a remark he has said many times since was not serious.

Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri continued to occupy the top spot, while Rahil Gangjee took the fourth spot in the latest Asian Tour Order of Merit released on Monday.

Lahiri continued to take pole position with earnings of $245,910 despite a tied-37th finish at the Queen's Cup on Sunday.

Gangjee, who tied ninth in the event, took his season's earnings to $108,997. The other Indians in the top-10 are SSP Chowrasia and Rashid Khan.

While Chowrasia is seventh with earnings of $87,457, Rashid stands 10th with $77,697.

Bangladeshi Siddikur Rahman, who finished with a share of third place, is in ninth place after amassing $79,879.

Meanwhile, there was no stopping the evergreen Thaworn Wiratchant. Even age cannot inhibit the Thai, who is 47, from a record breaking run which already includes being the oldest Asian Tour Order of Merit champion in 2012 and becoming the all-time leading Asian Tour winner.

With his win on Sunday, Thaworn pocketed the winner's prize cheque of $54,000 and moved up to 11th place on the Order of Merit after seven starts on the Asian Tour.