Mirza and Mara lose to top duo

Dubai Indian star Sania Mirza bowed out of the 2009 Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships yesterday as she and Italian partner Mara Santangelo were eliminated from the women's doubles event after a 6-3, 6-3 defeat to the world number one pair of Cara Black and Liezel Huber.

Despite her singles exit on Tuesday, many Indian fans crowded Court One to cheer Mirza hoping to see her advance in the doubles competition.

However, Black and Huber put paid to their hopes as they stayed solid and never really gave their opponents as much as a sniff.

Mirza said later: “They're the number one team in the world. We had our chances. There were a lot of deuce games and if you don't take your chances, you're going to lose. It's as simple as that.'' Rohan Alvares