New Delhi: Rohan Bopanna’s men’s doubles campaign at the Australian Open ended in the first round in Melbourne on Tuesday. Bopanna and his Colombian partner Nicolas Barrientos lost to Spain’s Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar 5-7, 6-7 (5) on the third day of the tournament.
India’s top-ranked doubles specialist Bopanna had won the title last year with former partner Matthew Ebden. But he failed to make a winning start with new partner Barrientos, going down in an hour and 54 minutes.
The Indo-Colombian pair were seeded 14th but couldn’t get past the unseeded Spanish duo. It was the second exit by an Indian from the tournament after
Sumit Nagal went down in the first round of men’s singles on Sunday.
The 27-year-old Nagal, the only Indian in men’s singles, lost to 26th seed Czechia’s Tomas Machac in straight sets (6-3, 6-1, 7-5) in two hours and five minutes.
Three other Indians are in the fray in men’s doubles with Yuki Bhambri partnering France’s Albano Olivetti, N Sriram Balaji paired with Mexico’s Miguel Ángel Reyes-Varela, and Rithvik Bollipalli combining with America’s Ryan Seggerman.
No Indian woman qualified for the Australian Open this year.
Rohan Bopanna and his Colombian partner Nicolas Barrientos lost to Spain’s Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar 5-7, 6-7 (5) in the first round of Australian Open on Tuesday. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
