Rohan Bopanna-Matthew Ebden Crash Out Of Australian Open After Defeat In Men’s Doubles First Round

India’s Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden were knocked out of the Australian Open on Friday after consecutive defeats in the first round of the men’s doubles. The 10th seed pair Indo-Australia lost 3-6, 5-7 to Lucas Miedler and Alexander Erler of Austria. Bopanna and Ebden made 18 uncatchable errors and many times had difficulty holding the serve.

Earlier on Thursday, Sania Mirza, who is competing in her last Grand Slam, advanced to the second round of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday. Sania and her Kazakh partner Anna Danilina defeated Dalma Galfi of Hungary and Bernarda Pera of the US 6-2 7-5 in one hour and 15 minutes in the women’s doubles.

Finishing the first set in less than 25 minutes, the pair took a 4-1 lead in the second half as they struggled a bit as Galfi and Pera won four sprint games to take five in all.

However, the Indo-Kazakh duo managed to break Pera’s serve and Danilina then kept her serve to seal the outcome and set up a second round clash with Alison Van Uytvanck and Anhelina Kalinina.

A six-time Major champion (three in doubles and three in mixed doubles), the 36-year-old Indian has announced that the Australian Open is her last and that she will win. technology after the WTA 1000 Dubai Tennis Championships scheduled for February 19.

In the men’s doubles, Ramkumar Ramanathan and duo Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni were eliminated in the first round after losing their respective matches.

Ramkumar and his Mexican partner Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela squandered their first set score to lead 6-3 5-7 3-6 to the Tsitsipas brothers Stefanos and Petros.

Wildcard participants Bhambri and Myneni lost 6-7 7-6 6-3 to Australian-German pair Andreas Mies and John Peers in a battle that lasted two hours and 45 minutes.

(With PTI input)