ISLAMABAD: Former captain of the national cricket team Shoaib Malik has taken to playing tennis and defeated his wife, tennis ace Sania Mirza, on a mini court.

“I play tennis with Sania twice a week. I beat her at a mini court recently,” Malik was reported as saying by the Press Trust of India (PTI).

Malik, who developed an interest in the game after his marriage to Mirza, said he was now aiming to beat her on a full sized court and said that the tennis star’s game had improved after their marriage.

“I now want to win a game on a full-sized court,” he said.

He revealed that Sania was passionate about cricket and they (the couple) supported their respective countries during matches between the arch-rivals, Pakistan and India.

“We watch the game together, she supports India and I support Pakistan,” he said.

About their marriage, the cricketer said both were happy. They are based out in Dubai but visit their countries frequently.

“We live in Dubai but keep visiting both India and Pakistan. The High Commissions of the two countries have been very cooperative in issuing us visas,” he said.