Poor return! Team Asia Pacific's Sania Mirza returns to Russia's Anna Chakvetadze during the JB Group Classic exhibition tournament in Hong Kong yesterday. Sania lost 4-6, 4-6. pic/ap

Sania Mirza returning to the tennis courts after a four-month injury lay off yesterday lost in straight sets to Russia's Anna Chakvetadze in theu00a0 JB Group Classic World Team Challenge.

Mirza, playing for Team Asia-Pacific, went down 4-6, 4-6 as top seeds Russia took an early lead in the four-team event.

Earlier Russia's seventh-ranked Vera Zvonareva beat top Chinese player Zheng Jie in straight sets7-6 (7-3), 6-4 win in the year-opening exhibition tournament.

Wimbledon semi-finalist Zheng, dictating the play in front of a near-capacity crowd in the 3,600-seater stadium, Zvonareva found trailed in both sets before finding her rhythm in time to overcome her opponent
In a doubles match, Team Europe's Jelena Jankovic and Michelle Larcher de Brito beat Americans bt Venus Williams and Coco Vandeweghe 6-4, 7-5.