N Sriram Balaji progressed into the third main draw men’s doubles match at the French Open as he combined with Mexico's Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela Martinez to beat the French pair of Dan Added and Theo Arribage 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in Paris on Saturday.
The opening set saw both teams vying for control before the Indo-Mexican pair showcased exceptional skills, precise serves and well-timed volleys to put pressure on his opponents and earn crucial points to claim the set 6-4.
However, Added and Arribage refused to give up, mounting an impressive comeback in the second set. They demonstrated their resilience and clinched important games to tie the match, winning the second set 6-3.
As the match entered the decisive third set, Balaji and Reyes-Varela Martinez intensified their attack to gain a commanding lead. Despite a valiant effort from Added and Arribage to mount a comeback, Reyes-Varela Martinez maintained their composure, closing out the set with a score of 6-2.
As a result, Balaji strengthens his bid for a coveted spot on the Indian men's doubles team.
Meanwhile, Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden will take on Brazil’s Orlando Luz and Marcelo Zormann in the mixed doubles later in the evening Saturday.
Bopanna is also scheduled to play his first round mixed doubles match with Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova against the Russian-Italian duo of Liudmila Samsonova and Andrea Vavassori on Saturday.
However, with play suspended due to rain, it casts a shadow on the other matches scheduled for the day.
