Crowd eggs Navratilova-Paes to huge upset win

Never underestimate the power of the crowd. Never underestimate the combination of youth and experience.

Top seeds Todd Woodbridge and Rennae Stubbs learnt these two lessons the hard way on Friday night in the first round of the mixed doubles event at the US Open as they crashed out in straight sets to the unseeded odd couple of Martina Navratilova and Leander Paes 6-7 (4-7), 4-6.

In a match that was marked, and charged, with wild support for Navratilova -- nostalgia is a great weapon when used right -- Woodbridge and Stubbs found nothing going their way as their game deserted them and the crowd threw its full weight behind their unlikely opponents.

Starting at about 2040 EDT under floodlights in the three-quarters full grandstand, the roar of applause that went up as Navratilova walked in left no one in any doubt as to whose points would be cheered. That also gave Navratilova, four-time singles winner and nine times doubles champion at the US Open, and former world men's doubles top seed Paes an immediate psychological edge.

The match kicked off with Paes being broken in the first game and saw Woodbridge and Stubbs race away to a 3-1 lead, as Navratilova held her serve. At that point, it seemed like the Aussies would justify their seeding, but Paes and Navratrilova staged a comeback, breaking Woodbridge in the sixth game to level the set.

More drama was in store as Woodbridge and Stubbs broke Navratilova and Stubbs held her serve to take a 5-3 lead. Once again, the crowd favourites reached deep into their reserves to pull off some stunning strokes -- Paes pouncing on serves and Navratilova serving and volleying as in the old days -- and surged back to 5-5 and then 6-5 despite losing a 40-love lead and two advantage points.

Stubbs then held serve to send the first set into the tiebreaker, which had Paes playing like a man possessed as he poached at the net with wild abandon and served with venom, sending down a 115mph serve at 5-3. The American-Indian pair closed the set at 7-6 (7-4), for which the crowd immediately gave them a standing ovation.

The second set started off in much the same fashion as the first, with the duo from Down Under taking off to a 3-1 lead, but then blowing it to go 4-5 under. By this time, every single point was being cheered for Navratilova and Paes. Also, it was no longer just the Indians in the crowd who were encouraging Paes. A number of middle-aged American ladies could be seen cheering on Navratilova, who would likely have been their idol in their youth.

The pressure often seemed to show on the Australians. Woodbridge once slid his racquet across the court to his chair at a changeover in the first set when the scores were levelled, while Stubbs once whacked the ball into the net in the second in what was clearly a display of frazzled nerves.

On the other hand, Paes and Navratilova, belying doubts about how they would combine on court, shared an easy camaraderie, with Paes providing the adrenalin for both of them.

In the final game, at 6-5, Paes seemed determined not to let the chance slip as he stole two points at the net to go up 40-love while serving out the final point that Stubbs failed to get across. As the crowd erupted, Navratilova jumped in glee as if this was her first Grand Slam victory, hugging Paes, who egged on the crowd to give her extended applause, even bowing to her in a mock gesture of apprenticeship.

In fact, the day's play for Indians at the US Open seemed to be marked by fightbacks. Earlier in the day, third-seeded Mahesh Bhupathi and Russian Elena Likhovtseva fought off a spirited challenge from Cyril Suk of the Czech Republic and Iroda Tulyaganova of Uzbekistan on court 17 when they came back from a set and 1-3 down to retrieve the match at 4-6, 6-3, 7-6.

In the men's doubles event played on court 18, Paes teamed up with Michael Hill to win their first-round match against Italians Mussimo Bertolini and Cristian Brandi 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

EARLIER REPORT:
Navratilova-Paes score upset victory