Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza won the opening leg of the Masters Tennis, prevailing 7-5, 7-5 but the vanquished pair of Martina Navratilova and Leander Paes stole the show rekindling the memories their partnership that reached legendary proportions in the mixed doubles history.
Navratilova, one of the most successful players in women’s tennis, brought alive the energy and the passion which the gathering here on Wednesday had previously experienced through newspapers and television. Making her first visit to the City, the 59-year-old icon showed little signs of ageing and competed with her trademark gusto against players many years younger to her.
Sania paid her tribute to Martina saying, “It is a great honour to be standing here with someone who has achieved everything in tennis.”
Despite toning down her aggression, apparently in a show of respect to the presence of a legend, Sania essayed some of her typical forehand returns even as a group of her young fans who kept chanting her name.