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West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is no ordinary politician. She stepped into the tennis court with aplomb, with tennis star Sania Mirza gently guiding her into playing a low forehand lob.

Despite her usual confidence at trying new moves, Banerjee was awkward with the racket, however, forcing Mirza to practically manipulate the chief minister’s racket-holding arm. Didi herself looked a shade embarrassed.

Perhaps she needn’t have, for this was no back-handed compliment from Mirza, who was in Kolkata on Wednesday to take part in an exhibition tennis event as part of a promotional campaign for the second season of the International Premier Tennis League that starts in December.

Later, Mirza teamed up with Mahesh Bhupathi to play a friendly mixed-doubles match game against Kolkata’s own Leander Paes and Martina Navratilova.