On a great day for India at the ongoing Madrid Open, both Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi made winning starts to their campaigns in their respective doubles categories. The multiple Grand Slam-winning Indians had contrasting wins, though, at the Caja Magica on Tuesday. While Mirza and Martina Hingis had it easy against Chia-Jung Chuang and Darija Jurak 6-0, 6-4, Bhupathi and Fabrice Martin laboured for a 6(3)-7, 7-5, 10-7 victory over Guido Pella and Gilles Simon.
The top-seeded pair of Hingis and Mirza, who lost in the final of Stuttgart, received a bye in the first round and was in impeccable form in this 54-minute second-round clash. Armed with 75% of first serves in, they broke their opponents a total of five times. They also saved one of the two break points that they themselves faced.
In the quarter-finals, the top-ranked duo will take on the sixth-seeded Czech team of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka whom they beat for the Australian Open crown in January.
Mirza and Hingis are searching for their first trophy since capturing the St Peterburg title in February. The reigning Wimbledon, US Open, and Australian Open champions are looking to gain some big momentum before they attempt to complete a Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam at the French Open later this month.
Tough win for Bhupathi-Martin
In a late first-round men’s doubles match, the 214th ranked Bhupathi and his French partner Fabrice Martin had to sweat it out for the 1 hour 43 minutes triumph. After losing the opening set in a tie-break, the wildcard Indo-French combine was 4-2 up in the second set. But some strong play from their opponents resulted in the Bhupathi-Martin duo losing the next three games.
They, however, rebounded from it, broke back and successfully served out the set to level the contest.
In the ensuing match tie-break, Bhupathi-Martin broke away to 7-4 after being tied at 4-4. Even though Pella and Simon managed to close in to reduce the deficit to 7-8, the wildcards won the next two points to grab the win.
They will next meet the seventh seeds Alexander Peya and Nenad Zimonjic for a place in the quarter-finals.
