Defending champions Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek had to work hard to cross the first round hurdle in men’s doubles even as Sania Mirza moved to second rounds of her two events at the US Open.
The sixth-seeded pair of Paes and Stepanek overcame a spirited challenge from the Italian pair of Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini 7-6(5), 6-2 in their campaign opener.
They next face unseeded combine of Yen-Hsun Lu from Taipei and Jiri Vesely of Czech Republic.
In the mixed doubles, top-seeded pair of Sania Mirza and Bruno Soares quelled the challenge of the American team of Tornado Alicia Black and Ernesto Escobedo 6-2, 3-6, 10-5 in a gruelling first round contest.
Sania’s victory came after she and Cara Black, seeded third in the women’s doubles, routed Czech pair of Karolina Pliskova and Kristyna Pliskova 6-3, 6-0.
Published 28 August 2014, 17:55 IST