Navratilova-Paes score
upset victory

Martina Navratilova has beaten several top-seeded players in her amazing career, but no one really expected the 45-year-old veteran to do it again.

The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion, partnering Leander Paes of India, beat the top-seeded mixed doubles pair of Rennae Stubbs and Todd Woodbridge of Australia 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 on Friday in the first round of the US Open.

Paes's former doubles partner Mahesh Bhupathi and Elena Likhovtseva of Russia, seeded third, had to work hard to defeat Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan and Cyril Suk of the Czech Republic 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(10-7).

They now face the American pair of Corina Morariu and Justin Gimelstob in the second round.

Paes also advanced in the men's doubles. He and Michael Hill of Australia, seeded 13th, beat the Italian pair of Mussimo Bertolini and Cristian Brandi 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in a first round match which was delayed because of rain on Thursday.

Navratilova and Paes traded two breaks in the first set with the defending champions before winning the tie-break, and they again traded breaks in the fourth and fifth games of the second set.

But with Stubbs serving in the 11th game, Navratilova and Paes won the next eight straight points -- breaking Stubbs's serve before Navratilova served out the match.

Navratilova, who has also won 31 Grand Slam doubles titles and seven mixed, has had limited success since reviving her career, but she proved last year that she can still be a threat.

At the 2001 US Open, she and teammate Arantxa Sanchez- Vicario of Spain reached the quarter-finals of the women's doubles competition. But in mixed doubles, Navratilova and partner Max Mirnyi of Belarus lost to Stubbs and Woodbridge in the first round.

Stubbs has also won the mixed doubles at the Australian Open. In women's doubles, she has won Wimbledon, the US and Australian Opens, all with partner Lisa Raymond.

Woodbridge has won 18 Grand Slam tournaments, including at least one men's and mixed doubles title at each of the four Grand Slams.

Earlier report
Paes teams up with Navratilova at US Open