The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT wasn’t the type of post-retirement performance that he expected, but Mark Knowles was just thrilled to have been back on the big stage at Wimbledon.

On Thursday, Knowles and Australian born, Bahamian resident Lleyton Hewitt played their first round match in the men’s doubles at the All-England Club in London. However, while they got better with each set, they were unable to stop the duo of Jamie Delgado of Great Britain and Australian Matthew Ebden.

Delgado and Ebden spoiled Knowles’ return after a year in retirement with a 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (4) decision. It was a loss that Knowles took in strides.

“We just underperformed in the set points and the break points,” was how Knowles summed up the loss. “We won maybe one of 15 in the break points in the match and so we had ample opportunities. We had about three set points in the second set and four set points in the third set. We had lots and lots of opportunities. We just didn’t cash in on any of them.”

Although they were down in all three sets, Knowles and Hewitt came close to at least forcing a fourth set. Holding a slim 6-5 lead in the third and up 40-15, Knowles and Hewitt failed to close it out as Delgado and Ebden rallied to win the next two games to force the tie breaker.

In the tie breaker, Knowles and Hewitt took the initial 1-0 lead, but Delgado and Ebden went up 2-1. Tied at 2-2, Delgado and Ebden went up 5-2. After Knowles and Hewitt came back for a 5-4 deficit, Delgado and Ebden closed out the match for a 7-4 win.

“It was surely an incident of missed opportunities,” Knowles said. “I thought we played fairly well. We had chances right from the beginning of the match. We had a chance to change from the beginning. Even after losing the first set, we kind of regrouped and we controlled the second and third sets, only to lose them both.”

Knowles, 41, said it was a disappointment for him and Hewitt, 32.

“Even though I’m retired, I came here with the expectations of winning a few matches and get myself in a position,” he said. “I thought Lleyton and I could be a dangerous team and I felt that we could do well, so I’m a little disappointed in the way we got our campaign started.”

Knowles, who came back to try and win the only doubles Grand Slam title that has eluded him, will now turn his attention on the mixed doubles as he teams up with Sabine Lisicki of Germany, whom he has entertained here at Atlantis during his December Invitational.

The duo are scheduled to play their first round match today against the team of Knowles’ former doubles partner Mahesh Bhupathi of India and Daniels Hantuchova of Slovakia.

Knowles, by the way, won the mixed doubles title with Anna-Lena Groenefeld from Germany who is partnering with Alexander Peya of Austria as the No.5 seeds.

“She’s a great player. She’s done very well here in singles for the last two years, making the semis, so it’s a great opportunity again,” said Knowles of playing with Lisicki. “I’m excited about playing with another great partner and I’m looking forward to getting the first win against my ex doubles partner. It’s going to be a great match, but one I expect us to win.”

The bottom half of the draw, which has the team of Horia Tecau from Romania and Sania Mirza from India as the No.2 seed, is loaded with a number of singles and doubles players matching up to play in the tournament.

Bruno Soares from Brazil and American Lisa Raymond are the top seeded team.

This is the only tournament on the ATP circuit on Knowles’ agenda. However, he is still committed to playing in the 38th season of the Mylan World Team Tennis Tournament that starts on July 7. For the 13th season, Knowles will captain the Sacramento Capitals, coached by Wayne Bryan and featuring Mardy Fish, Bahamian-American Ryan Sweeting, Sam Querrey, Megan Moulton-Levy and Taylor Townsend.

“This is good preparation for that,” said Knowles, who admitted that he would have definitely liked to have gone further in the doubles draw in Wimbledon, but hopes to make up for it in mixed doubles.