IPTL 2015: Sania Mirza-Mahesh Bhupathi pip Leander Paes-Martina Navratilova

Kolkata: Legendary Martina Navratilova showed glimpses of her past with her super-fit partner Leander Paes but it was the duo of Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi who prevailed 7-5, 7-5 to win the Kolkata leg of the Tennis Masters as a prelude to the IPTL here on Wednesday

Paes and Martina squandered a 0-3 lead to go down the first set after Bhupathi and Mirza broke back by winning fifth, seventh and 11th games.

In the second set, both teams broke each other as they were locked 2-2 as Paes, Martina took a 4-2 lead before Bhupathi and Mirza bounced back to make it 4-4 by breaking the seventh game and went on to wrap the issue in 37 minutes at the Netaji Indoor Stadium.

“I think doubles is more fun than singles because here you can talk to somebody in the middle of the match but if you talk to yourself in singles people will think whether you’re mad! Hope I keep on improving... I can still improve,” Navratilova told the thrilled audience as they trail 0-1 in the three-leg promotional tour which will travel to Hyderabad and New Delhi in the next two days.