The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

After getting bounced in the first round of the men’s doubles, Mark Knowles is hoping that he can keep the post-retirement party going a little longer in the mixed doubles.

Knowles, back in action after a year’s exit from the ATP circuit, teamed up with Sabine Lisicki of Germany on Saturday to win their opening match 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-4 over his former doubles partner Mahesh Bhupathi of India and Daniela Hantuchova from Slovenia.

“It was a tough match,” said Knowles about the mixed doubles. “It was a tough three setter, but we managed to get through. It’s always nice to get through.”

After losing what he called a “tough” first set, Knowles said he and Lisicki was able to take care of business on the second and third sets, which is customary playing on grass.

“We were able to win the break points and we were able to do what we didn’t do in the men’s doubles,” said Knowles, referring to the 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (4) defeat that he and Australian Lleyton Hewitt suffered at the hands of Jamie Delgado of Great Britain and Matthew Ebden of Australia in their doubles fist round.

“We were not able to win the big points in the men’s doubles, but we got to do in the mixed doubles, so I was very pleased with that. We’re a very good team. Sabine is a very good player. She’s playing Serena Williams in singles, which is going to be a very tough match for her, but I think we can do well in the mixed. We have high expectations. But we know it’s a tough draw, so we just have to be ready to play.”

Knowles and Lisicki will be back in action today when they take on the team of Aisam Qureshi of Pakinstan and Cara Black of Zimbabwe in the second round. Quresjhi and Black got a bye in the first round.

“It will be an exciting match as well, so we will be looking forward to it,” Knowles said.

The mixed doubles will be played after Lisicki take on defending champions Williams in their singleas match.

Knowles, 41, teamed up with Anna-Lena Groenefeld from Germany to win the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 2009. He has never won the doubles title, although he made it to the final in 2002 with Canadian Daniel Nestor. However, he won the other three Grand Slams at the Australian Open, French Open and US Open before he retired in 2012 after a first round exit in the US Open.