The top-seeded duo battled past the Rodionova sisters of Australia, Anastasia and Arina, 6-7, 6-3, 10-5 in their opening round match of the US $731,000 clay-court event.
Barcelona's 100 per cent start to the season was ended by Catalonian neighbours Girona, who picked up a draw at the Nou Camp, allowing Real Madrid to take advantage with a victory over Espanyol.
Juventus's hopes of reaching the Champions League last eight suffered a blow when the two-times European Cup winners slumped to a 1-0 defeat in their last-16 first leg at Olympique Lyonnais on Wednesday. Manchester City finally produced a Champions League performance worthy of their status as one of European football's elite clubs by beating Real Madrid 2-1 away in Wednesday's last-16 first leg after pulling off a stunning late fightback.
Rediff.com brings these and other big news from the sporting world, encapsulated in this photo feature...
Atletico Madrid striker Mario Mandzukic's early goal secured a 1-0 win over Real Madrid and a 2-1 aggregate success to clinch the Spanish Super Cup and gain some revenge for last season's Champions League final defeat.
World leaders in arms led the unity rally in Paris showing defiance against the terror attacks that unfolded over three days leaving 17 dead. The families of those who died in the shootings were alongside them.
Cristiano Ronaldo has suggested Real Madrid should offer him a 10-year contract to ensure he sees out his career at the Spanish club. "If I were the president of Real Madrid, I would give myself a 10-year contract," Real's all time top scorer, now 31, told reporters after scoring on his return from injury in a 5-2 La Liga win over promoted Osasuna. Ronaldo's current contract runs out in 2018.
Karim Benzema fired Real Madrid to a 1-0 win in the city derby against Atletico Madrid on Saturday which underlined Real's La Liga title credentials. Bayern Munich scored three goals in the opening 26 minutes to defeat Mainz 05 3-1 away on Saturday and go two points clear at the top of the Bundesliga with their sixth straight win.
'The sooner Pakistan and India face these geopolitical realities, the better it will be for their own security and prosperity,' observes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
A first half Tiago header set up Atletico Madrid's 2-0 victory over Espanyol as they seek to get back on track following a stuttering start to the La Liga season.
World champion Peter Sagan claimed his third 2016 Tour de France stage victory when he pipped Alexander Kristoff on the line at the end of the 16th stage, a 209-km ride from Moirans-en-Montagne on Monday.
Mandzukic signing adds to the Serie A champs' big haul of strikers as Paul Pogba is targetted by Barca and PSG among other clubs
Marcelino dismissed but Valencia keep pressure on Barcelona
India's tennis ace Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis continued their stupendous run by clinching their 25th victory together to enter the final of the Brisbane International Tennis Tournament in Brisbane, on Friday.
The result also means second-placed Real Sociedad can reclaim top spot if they beat Eibar on Sunday.
In other European football action Real Madrid were left frustrated after a goalless draw against Athletic Bilbao in their La Liga match on Sunday.
From bloody noses to sparks on the race track, Rediff.com has the best pictures from the last week snapped right here...
Lionel Messi came to Barcelona's rescue for the second time in a week by snatching a late winner to give his side a barely deserved 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid on Sunday which provisionally took the champions top of La Liga.
Indian Grandmasters Vidit Gujarathi and Sahaj Grover maintained a clean slate, defeating Tomas Laurusas of Lithuania and Vyacheslav Lozhnikov of Kazakhstan respectively in the second round of the World Junior Chess Championship in Kocaeli, Turkey.
The German, winner of the season's first two races, had been second before coming in for a fresh set of tyres while Hamilton won with one stop from pole position.
Liverpool were beaten 1-0 away to Atletico Madrid in their last-16 first leg on Tuesday.
Holders Real Madrid reached the Champions League final for a third year in a row after taking advantage of Bayern Munich's carelessness in attack and defence to draw 2-2 in their semi-final second leg on Tuesday, and winning 4-3 on aggregate, at the Santiago Bernabeu, in Madrid, Spain, on Tuesday.
In the dying minutes of their Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid, a thunderstorm rolled in and drenched Atletico Madrid's Vicente Calderon stadium.
A round-up of Saturday's football action in La Liga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1.
Gareth Bale angered Real Madrid team mate Cristiano Ronaldo for the second La Liga game in a row on Saturday.
Barcelona capitalised on two disastrous own goals by A S Roma to thrash the Italian side 4-1 at the Nou Camp on Wednesday and take a huge step towards reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in three years.
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo gave a ringing endorsement of new coach Zinedine Zidane and handed a rebuke to his sacked predecessor Rafa Benitez after Sunday's 5-1 La Liga victory at home to Sporting Gijon. Real have comfortably won both their matches since Zidane took over this month, a 5-0 thrashing of Deportivo La Coruna and Sunday's demolition of lowly Gijon, and Ronaldo said the players had a better relationship with the former Real and France great, who is known as 'Zizou', than with the unpopular Benitez. The former Valencia, Liverpool, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Napoli manager was discarded after less than half a season in the job after an indifferent run of results left Real trailing city rivals Atletico Madrid and champions Barcelona in La Liga. "To be honest, with some coaches you have more empathy than with others," Ronaldo told reporters after netting a double at the Bernabeu. "The truth is, don't ask me why, that the players have more empathy with Zizou," the Portugal forward added.
This year marks the first that two quadruple champions are competing in the same season and their battle to see who joins Argentine legend Juan Manuel Fangio in second place on the all-time list with five titles promises to light up the series.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has once again made the shortlist of for FIFA's goal of the year award, giving him a chance to retain the trophy he won last year.
Barcelona forwards Lionel Messi, Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez combined to devastating effect to hammer Girona 6-1 on Saturday as they went 10 points clear at the top of La Liga and set a club record of 32 games unbeaten in the league.
Chris Froome's credibility as triple Tour de France champion has only been boosted by the hacking of his private medical information, according to a South African physiologist who carried out tests on the Briton last year.
Barcelona finished three points behind Real Madrid last season but there is concern the gap between Spain's biggest two sides could be far larger this season.
Chris Froome has been so strong on this year's Tour de France that at times he appears to have been toying with his rivals.
Arsenal manager Unai Emery was pleased with his team's first away clean sheet of the season.
Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi scored stunning goals to edge Barcelona towards a fourth consecutive King's Cup final with a 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, although the holders were lucky to survive a late onslaught from the hosts.
Real Madrid can pip Barcelona to the La Liga title on Saturday even though their destiny is out of their hands, coach Zinedine Zidane said on the eve of the season finale.
A Marco Asensio-inspired Real Madrid crushed Eibar 3-0 to close the gap on La Liga leaders Barcelona to five points on Sunday, with Karim Benzema starting on the bench.
Rediff.com has this and a whole lot more exciting action from the week gone by, encapsulated in this photo feature.
Zinedine Zidane overcame the biggest challenge of his fledgling coaching career as Real Madrid brushed aside VfL Wolfsburg to overturn a first-leg deficit and reach the Champions League semi-finals.
Real Madrid will carry their momentum from Saturday's 'Clasico' victory over rivals Barcelona into their Champions League quarter-final first leg at struggling VfL Wolfsburg on Wednesday, coach Zinedine Zidane said. Real scored their first league win at the Nou Camp since 2012, inflicting the first home defeat for Barcelona since February 2015. "It is very important to have got the win here for our confidence and for the remainder of the season and with it coming right before our Champions League game in Germany," said Zidane. "We know just how important the Champions League is and we want to advance, so winning here in Barcelona was very important." The Frenchman took over from Rafael Benitez at the start of the year and on Saturday came through his first big test with flying colours.
